Speeding Alchemist
by Kodachi Claws
Summary: Two vastly different worlds come together and join forces to thwart their respective evils. But the laws of equivalent exchange will take a heavy toll on both. FMA 2003 X Sonic  Archie  crossover.
1. The Other Gate

Hi everyone! This fic came to me rather...spontaneously. I just thought it up and began writing it. I have more chapters than these 2, but they're not quite ready yet. I've been wanting to do a crossover of some kind for a while now. How I wound up combining Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog and Fullmetal Alchemist...I've no idea. I guess with having a relapse into my childhood combined with watching FMA videos on youtube made it happen. I know this looks like an odd combination, but I had a lot of fun writing it, and I think it will be pleasing to both fans, at least as an entertaining distraction if nothing else.

This will be based on the first anime, of FMA and Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog. As for when this takes place, for the former, it's right after the Elrics' escapade in Rush Valley, and after Mecha Madness in the Sonic (Archie) universe. While we'll be getting the classic Dr. Ivo Robotnik, I'll try to include as many Post-Robotnik villians as I can without convoluting the story too much. So enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own either one of these properties. Sonic and company (yes, even the Archie exclusives) belong to Sega, while FMA is property of bones and Hiromu Arakawa

* * *

**"**_**All 3 Prisoners accounted for, sir." **_One of the Swatbots said. 3 anthropomorphic animals, otherwise known as Mobians, consisting of a cat, a pig, and a hare were in chains, each standing on a metallic platform. Soon, reinforced glass tubes descended upon them. The three creatures begged to be for mercy, but it seemed they were doomed to become robotic slaves.

A small human with a long nose was overseeing the process, seemingly disinterested. "Very good. Beginning robotization..." Suddenly, a blue blur screeched past him, knocking the tiny man off balance. Having been accustomed to this routine for years now, he knew exactly what it was and reacted accordingly. "It's the hedgehog! Stop him, stop him now!" he commanded the robotic soldiers.

"Hey!" the blue hedgehog he was referring to stopped and pouted. "You didn't let me say anything! You're supposed to wait for me to say something witty, then order the bots' to attack, capeche'?" This hedgehog was none other than the fastest thing alive, and champions of the Freedom Fighters, Sonic the Hedgehog. Before he could fire off another witty remark, the Swatbots forced him to dodge their lasers; an easy enough task, given what was stated earlier. Sonic curled up into a ball and spun, resembling a blue buzz saw. He cut most of the Swatbots in half, and trashed a few others with his fists, enhanced by the momentum of his speed.

Just as Snively was about to activate the Roboticizer, Sonic pushed hundreds of buttons at once, overloading the computer and causing electric sparks to erupt from the keyboard and control pad. "Egad!" Snively immediately ran for the fire-extinguisher.

Meanwhile, Sonic lifted the cylinders up, allowing the prisoners to escape. "Thanks Sonic!" the cat shouted.

"Don't thank me yet; we've still got to juice to Knothole!" Sonic grabbed their arms, allowing them to hold on tight, and took off at the speed of sound. Meanwhile, Snively was busy putting out the fire...or rather squeezing the extinguisher and being thrown back across the other side of the room.

* * *

In another world, one ruled by humans, and based on the science of Alchemy, a lone trouble maker was also making plans to overthrow those in power. However, unlike Sonic the Hedgehog, this rebel's intentions were truly malicious. As he was drawing circles all across town with an ink almost impossible to erase or paint over, the military finally caught him. "Isaac McDougall, surrender at once!" the corporal shouted into the megaphone.

The large, gray haired man only chuckled. "Fool! Don't you realize why I'm called the Hydro Alchemist!' He finished his transmutation circle, and poured his energy into it. The cops surrounding him then felt the ground beneath them shake. Geysers erupted from the man holes, and hydrants, the hot steam disorienting the police. "And that's only phase one!" He placed his other hand on another transmutation circle to his right, freezing the police by freezing the water vapor surrounding them. They weren't dead, but the sudden drop in temperature caused their bodies to go numb, and unless they got to the doctor, would likely die in a few minutes. "Heh. That's what the Flame Alchemist gets for not coming here himself..." He chuckled, imagining what happened if he did come. "Then again, I can't blame him entirely."

"That guy's such a pain in the ass; you can't count on him for anything." A much younger voice said.

"Huh!" A stream of water from a hydrant still in place was hurled at him, knocking him off balance. "Wha-How dare you! Who are you!" His assailant then came into view: He was a teenager with long, blond hair tied in a braid and gold eyes. He wore a red coat, with black clothes underneath, plus two white gloves. But what really got to him..."I said, who the hell are you, shorty?"

A blood vessel popped in the teen's head as he started to growl uncontrollably. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN ANT, YOU ASSHOLE!" The teen charged him, and Isaac found an opening.

"Big mistake, punk!" He reached into his trench coat and wrapped his hand in a gauntlet with a transmutation circle. With it, he could control water in anything instantly without drawing a new one; and he planned to vaporize all the water within the young boy. He reached to grab him, and began his alchemic reaction. However, someone in a big suit of armor got in the way. "No matter; as long as it's touching the skin underneath, he will still be affected..." However, nothing happened, and he received a hard right, sending him into a building wall from across the street.

"Brother, don't be reckless!" the armored "man" said.

"Aw, shut it, Al! I had the whole thing under control!"

It shocked Isaac that the huge hulk in armor sounded no more than 10 years old. Then, he remembered rumors circulating about an odd pair of teenage boys with extraordinary alchemic powers. "Waitaminute, I remember now! All that metal...It's you! The FullMetal Alchemist!" He pointed at the big one in armor; he couldn't make out a face, but his posture made him look as though he were confused.

The short one, however, looked even more pissed and pointed to himself. "No, you twit! I'm the FullMetal Alchemist! Edward Elric!"

Isaac couldn't believe it. But it didn't matter; both would be a problem if he dawdled too long. "Well, then, let's end this quickly..."

"Good idea!" Edward clapped his hands and placed them on the ground. The road between them broke apart and rose.

Isaac rolled away in the nick of time to avoid being pinned by the rocks. "No transmutation circle! Fighting him directly is out of the question! I'm going to have to lure him into my second trap!" The Elric brothers followed him as he took off.

"Al! Get to the rooftops! Don't lose sight!" Ed ordered his younger brother.

"Right!" Despite his large size, Alphonse scaled the buildings and the rooftops with the grace of a gymnast.

Edward wasn't far behind Isaac; however, it worried him when Isaac entered a building. "The water treatment plant." Ed knew he had to proceed with caution, but he couldn't give up on his prey. Slowly, he walked in. "Hellooo...Mr. McDougall?" he called. The lights then came on, Isaac standing in the center of the other side.

"You should know better than to walk in here, considering my specialty." the man taunted him.

Edward sneered. "So you control water. Big deal! Watcha going to do? Give me a bubble bath?"

Isaac sneered back. "Something like that." He activated the transmutation circle he drew, and the water reservoirs from both sides of the bridge separating them reacted, albeit differently. One was boiling; the other grew sheets of Ice. "The reservoir to your left is 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The one to your right is 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Fall into the first one, the pain will disorient you to the point of paralysis and eat away at your skin. The second will force your body into hypothermia in less than 10 seconds. Either way, you will be unable to swim, and you'll drown an agonizing death, assuming the temperature of either one won't kill you first."

Edward looked unimpressed, and began walking across. "And what makes you think I'm dumb enough to fall in either one?"

Isaac then placed his hand on a lever. "This!"

Edward heard gears kick in, and began dancing once he saw bullets hit the deck! "AHHHH!" Edward fell over the bridge, but quickly grabbed hold with his right arm. The bullets hit his fingers, but they were sturdy enough to avoid damage for a short period. "I hate to do it this way, but...!" He quickly let go, clapped his hands, placed them on the bridge, and changed the shape of the bridge. Parts became severely depressed, and underneath monkey bars sprouted. Quickly, Edward grabbed onto one, and began swinging towards the Hydro Alchemist.

"Damn!" the rouge alchemist thought. Quickly, he kicked over a can of water on the floor. "I'll freeze him once he reaches the ledge!" Little did he know, Ed's brother began a trap of his own.

Just as Ed touched the ledge, Isaac was about to touch the water. However, a voice stopped him. "You must be worn out from that chase. A hot shower ought to do you good!" Al activated the transmutation circle he drew, causing the pipes to break apart, point towards McDougall, and sprouted scalding hot water on him.

"AHHH!" Unlike the boiling reservoir he created, it wasn't enough to kill him, but he would pass out if he didn't escape.

"Nice work, Al!" Quickly, Ed got up onto the platform and transmuted his auto-mail arm into a sword. Launching himself at McDougall, he sliced his gauntlet, iextinguishing his ability to transmute quickly, and kicked him square in the jaw with his left leg, knocking him out cold.

"Great job, Ed!" Al praised.

However, his brother didn't hear him; he was too busy thrashing around in the scalding hot water in agony. "AL, GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

* * *

Sonic and the escapees burst out of the trunk leading to the remote Knothole Village, their home away from and base of operations, and landed in the hay. "Okay, from now on, be more careful about Buttnik, okay?" Sonic told the villagers. The villagers nodded, while their families and friends greeted them, thankful they were still flesh and blood.

"Sonic!"

"Sugar-hog, you should know better than to make Sal-Girl worry about you!"

"Of courze, he haz no interest en her vell-being!"

Sonic was then greeted by his comrades in arms: Miles "Tails" Prower, Bunnie Rabbot, Rotor, and Antoine D'Collete, themselves renowned freedom fighters. "Sorry, but they were about to get roboticized! I couldn't stick around for a plan!"

Rotor shrugged. "I understand...but it was risky."

Sensing none of them were going to argue further, Sonic then asked "Where's Sal?" He figured she would be here with steam coming out of her ears.

"She's in the library, sugar. Apparently, somethin's caught her interest." Sonic then ran to meet her.

* * *

Princess Sally Acorn, also leader of the Freedom Fighters, sighed. While she and her friends managed to thwart Robotnik's greatest schemes throughout the years, it seemed they were never making progress. Not even with Sonic did they seem to be able to find a permanent solution. Somehow, she had to. For her people, for her conquered city. For her father, who was thrown into the Zone of Silence early during Mobotropolis's conquest. It brought a tear to her eye every time she thought about it. Many people thought being a Princess was all about having everyone wait on you hand and foot, dressing pretty and just flirting with boys. It would be good if she could turn back time and be a child again. But her people needed her, and any sort of fun would always come second. It was a rare occasion where she could find a bit of both; her fondness of ancient myths have more often than not proved practical to the war, and what she just found was no exception. It was vague, but it was worth investigating, if nothing else for the pursuit of knowledge...

Then, the doors burst open. "What's up Sal?" a familiar voice said. Sally was relieved that Sonic made it back in one piece, and with the villagers no less. However, she was still furious that he took off like that; had anything gone wrong... Sonic, sensing her irritation began to apologize. "Sal, look, I'm sorry. I wanted to do it with you all, but-"

"...but what if YOU were captured and roboticized! In fact, it wasn't that long ago when that happened before!" The memories of Mecha Sonic's attack on Knothole was still fresh in her memory, and she never wanted to revisit the possibility of Sonic being a traitor again.

Sonic winced at the memory of being roboticized. He had faint memories of the experience, and it made him sick to his stomach. "Sal, you know it was Nack who ambushed me here, not getting caught in Robotropolis." Sally still didn't turn to face him. Sonic cautiously placed his hands across Sally's soldiers. "Sal, I only went alone because I HAD to. If it was just another raid, I would have waited for you all. You know that." he pleaded.

Sally sighed. No matter what, she couldn't stay angry at him. "I'm sorry, Sonic. It's just..." She turned slightly so she could see him. "...it's just that I worry about you."

Sonic smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "I worry about you too." They hugged each other for reassurance, glad that both were alright. And little did both know, each wondered if any sort of comfort could go beyond a hug.

"Listen, Sonic...there's something I want to show everyone." she told him, the incident forgotten.

* * *

In the Alchemic World, Ed and Al stopped by a cafe after handing Douglas to the authorities. However, before they did that, something caught Ed's eye in one of the rogue alchemist's pockets. It looked like a map. Without the authorities noticing, he took it, and was looking it over right now.

"Brother, you should have let the police handle that! Besides, we need to meet with teacher! We've wasted enough time-"

"Teacher's not going anywhere any time soon. Besides..." Ed looked at him as if he was reliving a horrific time. "Do you really want to see her that badly?" Both looked at each other in fright; saying their teacher was stern was putting it mildly, and she would be beyond furious once she learned the truth.

"Well...what is it?" Al asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know, really. It just has a line going into the forest west of here, and an X. On the X it says 'The Temple of Chaos'." Ed took a bite of his sandwich before continuing. "It's not likely, but we may be able to find something on the philosopher's stone there. I mean, why else would an Alchemist like McDougall have this?"

"A hideout, maybe?" Al asked, skeptical.

"No, then there wouldn't be anything special about it." Ed thought about it for a minute, and smiled. "Besides, even the times we thought we've been sidetracked have proven to be helpful; this might not be any different. We'll let Winry know we won't be at the hotel until later."

As Al agreed, someone watched over them from his newspaper. The old man folded it up and left. Quietly, he slipped into a phone booth and dialed a number. "It's me. I ran into the FullMetal Pipsqueak, and it seems he's found out about that temple as well. Do you...yes, I think that would be best. Just be sure Gluttony won't get too out of control. At least save the short one for me." he requested as he grinned maniacally.

* * *

"All right everyone." Sally proclaimed in the Freedom Fighters Headquarters. "I know this may sound like a distraction, but I believe that if we don't deal with this right away, Robotnik could use it to his advantage." That certainly got everyone's attention. Sally then had Nichole project a hologram of text, and the image of a temple. "According to legend, this is Temple of the Heavenly Gate. It is said that a guardian once found a portal to other worlds; some suggest that some living things, even Mobians like us, came from other worlds to here and never made it back. Of course, if anything that part is most likely to be myth."

"Sounds cool, Sal. But what does this have to do with Robuttnik?" Sonic asked, feeling more like running around Robotropolis causing trouble than exploring something mythical.

Sally rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well, for one, Robotnik opened a portal to another world once before, and we know how that turned out." Sonic's face fell, remembering the time they went to the Zone of Silence to rescue King Acorn, only to find him as a barbarian with a lost memory. Sally took that especially hard. "In addition to using it as a banishment tool...however unlikely considering his thing for robotization nowadays...he could use it to summon creatures from another world. Or, should we defeat him, he may use it to retreat to whatever other world he finds, and conquer it...or return with allies."

Everyone was silent; fighting an endless horde of Swatbots with the occasional Combot thrown in was bad enough; an army of totally foreign creatures...they knew they couldn't allow that. "And vere iz des temple?" Antoine asked.

Sally replied "It's in the Great Forest, not too far from here. However, to avoid detection, it would be best if we went by foot, AND at a walking pace."

Sonic groaned at the prospect. But Robotnik was getting a little bit more aggressive lately, so Sally was not without reason. "When do we leave, Sal?"

"Tomorrow, at dawn."

* * *

Ed and Al made their way up the hill, one brother looking forward to the discovery and the other still unsure. Their mechanic and childhood friend, Winry Rockbell, accompanied them as they made their way to Dublith, but for this adventure, they told her they would be back later tonight. Currently, Ed was carrying a lantern on the count of it being dark. "Brother, we should head back!" Alphonse protested.

"Calm down, Al. We'll just take a look, and we'll be on our way back. Besides, it's only 7, and Winry will be fine on her own for a few minutes. We'll be back at the end of the hour."

Just then, they came into a clearing, and in the center was a temple. It had both Amestrian and Xingese traits. Ed couldn't tell if it was colored with anything special, but Ed could tell whoever the architect was, he put a lot of work into it. Despite its small size, it contained pillars and murals from all sorts of cultures.

"It's...nice." Alphonse said.

Ed got the sense Al wanted to go now, but his curiosity wouldn't allow him to concede. "Come on; let's have a look inside."

"Brother...!"

"Enough, already. Those stories about booby-trapped temples are false; there's nothing to fear."

As the two brothers went in, a triad of eyes followed them. "Remember, hurt them as bad as you can, but don't kill them. After all, if we are to ever be human again..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Still, I don't see what SHE sees about this temple that is so great. I never heard of it having to do anything with alchemy."

"That's irrelevant. Pride instructed us that the master's wishes are quite clear on this matter." Someone then whined. "Don't worry, Gluttony. We'll be sure to pick up a couple of townsfolk for you after we're done." The one being addressed only giggled in response.

* * *

"Wow." Finally, Alphonse seemed to be enjoying himself. So was Ed. On the walls, there were paintings of what seemed to be animal spirits. Most were common woodland creatures, with a few exotics thrown in. There were other symbols to: 3 tribal masks, Golden Rings, and what seemed to be green emeralds. "I wonder what they mean?" Ed asked. It probably was a waste of time for them in the end, but it was fun. As Ed stared into the abyss, he noticed something, but he couldn't be quite sure of it without proper lighting. "Al, take the lamp for a second. Follow me." The two brothers walked down the hall, and finally, into a circular room.

"Huh." Al commented.

Ed noticed that there seemed to be small canals surrounding them. He took a sip, and spat it out in disgust. "Oil." Ed immediately lit a match, and threw it in. Fire seemed to dance in circles as the room lit up. More of the exotic drawings showed up, but at the roof, the brothers could see the illustration of a planet. It looked similar to their own, but the continents seemed misshapen; not even the earliest of cartographers got it that bad.

"What do you make of it, brother?" Alphonse asked.

"Forget that; what do you make of this?" Ed asked, pointing to the floor.

Alphonse looked down on the floor, and saw they were standing in the middle of a transmutation circle. "Incredible! What do you think it does?" Alphonse asked excitedly.

"I don't know; it's best we don't experiment with this until we get info from either Central or Teacher. But it makes sense why McDougall had this map."

"Too bad you won't found out why this is important before he died." The two brothers turned around to see their 3 adversaries: The Homunculi. One was a beautiful, curvaceous woman in a black dress: Lust. The other was a fat man with the behavior, and probably intelligence, of a wild animal: Gluttony. Last, but not least, was an androgynous individual with green hair like a palm tree; of course, when he wanted, he could take any form he wanted: Envy.

"You again." Edward growled. He transmuted his auto-mail arm into a sword, while Alphonse got into a fighting stance; he wouldn't dare use any material from the floor, lest he set off a chain reaction from the circle.

"I suppose this has something to do with the philosopher's stone too, huh!" Ed questioned them.

Lust shrugged. "Not that we know of. But we can't have you snooping around. So, I'm going to offer you this chance: Walk away."

Alphonse replied. "And if we refuse?"

"Oh, that's easy; we simply break your bodies; we aren't allowed to kill you, but we were given specific instructions to remove you by any means necessary." Lust continued "Although, we would prefer it if you did resist: It would make it easier for us to detain and use you."

"Too bad that's not gonna happen, cause now you're mine!" Ed shouted, and the two brothers charged. The Elric brothers were outnumbered by 1, and being unable to use alchemy in their current environment, they were at a disadvantage. However, they were expert fighters, with or without alchemy.

"You take those two on; I'll take on the palm tree freak!" Ed told Al.

"Right!"

Lust's fingers extended, but Alphonse caught them and broke them with a karate chop. Gluttony tried to latch onto Al, but the living metal body proved to be too fast and elbowed him in the head, sending him flying. Meanwhile, Ed engaged Envy. Envy was stronger and more agile, but Edward managed to keep up with him, thinking of it as sparring with their mentor. Envy landed a roundhouse on Ed's shoulder, but Edward rolled with it, and using his sword arm, slit the homunculi's neck. However, he knew that wouldn't kill it; nothing would. "You'll have to do a better job then that, runt!" Envy taunted as the wound healed, although that didn't prevent any blood from leaking onto the floor.

Edward got down and took his adversary down with a sweep kick. "Don't call me little! EVER!"

Al was starting to go on the defensive, as both Lust and Gluttony kept him on his toes. Lust nearly pierced his blood seal, but thankfully his armor body had only a few scratches. However, Gluttony was the one who really worried him; one bite and it was over. "Only one way to end this!" He flipped over Lust, wrapped her arms behind her back, and took her hostage, holding her in front of Gluttony. "Go ahead and try to take a bite of me; you're more likely to hurt her."

Gluttony hesitated, but Lust just sneered. "That's what you think!" Her finger spears suddenly shot towards Edward.

"Brother, watch out!" Ed, upon heeding the warning, avoided a fatal stab, but the spear still got his side pretty good. "Augh!" The blood dripped from his side, mixing with Envy's.

Envy used the distraction to grab Ed by the throat and lift him off the ground, slowly choking him. "Face it, FullMetal! You and your brother are good, but just one more of us is all it takes to-"

Suddenly, the transmutation circle under them began to glow. "Envy...what did you do?" Edward asked as the Homunculi released him in confusion.

"No, you did this, Elric!" Envy retorted. The planet mural above them began to glow, and a white light surrounded them all.


	2. Two Worlds

Here's number two, and you'll see the two groups of protagonists meet one another here.

Disclaimer: Don't own any of these characters. Might be tempted to keep some of the mobians as pets...but in the case of some...(cough)Sally(cough)...that would be disturbing

* * *

Sally led the freedom fighters through the Great Forest with a map leading to the Heavenly Gate Temple. While most patiently followed behind her, Sonic groaned out of boredom. Or irritation. Probably both. "Are we there yet?"

"No." was Sally's reply.

"Are we there yet?"

"Sonic Hedgehog, either put up with us or go back home!" Sally wished for once he could put up with taking it slow.

Sonic groaned. "I still think that if Robuttnik wanted to use this portal, he would have by now!"

"Best to be cautious." Sally replied.

"Aunt Sally!" Tails pointed. "Look!"

The freedom fighters, except for Sonic, stared in awe at the temple. It was nearly identical to the one in the Alchemic world. "It's just a pile of rocks. Hard, dusty, even-a-tortoise-can-outrun-them slow rocks." Sonic muttered.

Sally just rolled her eyes. "Let's go an see what's inside adere." Bunnie suggested.

"Of course. Everyone, be careful." Sally ordered her friends and comrades.

* * *

Sonic's mood finally lightened up. He still didn't want to be in the temple, but something did catch his eye. The murals had pictures of Overlanders, doing various things with medieval tools. There was a sun and a moon mural as well, but they had faces. Finally, what caught everyone's attention where the drawings of what seemed to be the religious symbols of some kind of cult. "Nichole, are you sure you can't identify them?"

_**"Negative, Sally. Circles source is unknown." **_

"Hey, Sally." Rotor called. "Come take a look at this!"

The freedom fighters gathered in a dark room. When Rotor took out a flashlight, the freedom fighters noticed the entire floor was a more complicated version of the circles they saw. "Look up here Aunt Sally!" Tails called as he flew up to the roof. The illustration was of a planet, similar to their own, but the continents were clearly different.

"Early ettempt to draw Mobius, no?" Antoine asked.

Sally shook her head "No, Jualya showed me our earliest attempts at mapping the planet. It's still off." "Perhaps, it's the portal?" Rotor asked.

Sally looked through everything she scanned so far. "Hard to say; known of the earlier carvings we've come across indicate that."

Sonic walked around, and felt something wet under his shoe. At first, he dismissed it as water, but it was too viscous for that. "Guys, check this out!" Rotor pointed his flashlight at Sonic, and everyone noticed the small puddle of red liquid underneath his shoe.

"Blood?" Antoine asked, quivering in fear.

Sally took a look, and confirmed it. "Yeah, and it's fresh too." she noted, rubbing it between her fingers. Antoine fainted at the mention of that.

Sonic sighed in disgust. "It was probably just a wounded non-sentient animal." Sonic commented. "It's not much; I doubt most decent-sized mobians would die just from this."

Sally aimed Nichole at the blood. "Nichole, identify."

_**"Scanning." **_The computer replied. After a few seconds, Nichole's analysis was completed. _**"Initial analysis: No match found. However, two genomes were confirmed. Only 1 % difference. Both have shown 99-99.95% similarity with Overlander DNA." **_

Sonic then spoke up. "For some reason, I doubt it was Robuttnik. I figure Nichole would have realized if that was him or Snively."

"Correct." Sally stated as she closed her mini-computer. "We now know that there's someone new in the forest; we better have a look around."

* * *

"You okay, brother?" Alphonse asked.

Ed patted his side lightly as he lay against a tree. "I'm fine; she didn't hit any vital organs." After being blinded by the light, everyone except Alphonse was disoriented. Taking advantage of the chance to escape, Al picked up Ed and took off. When morning came, both Ed and Al realized that they were not in the outskirts of the town they were just in. The forest was far more lush than anything they had been in before, and they couldn't hear a trace of modern civilization anywhere.

"Are you good to move?" Alphonse asked his brother.

Ed got up, grunting. Ed used alchemy to close the wound; he would live, but it was still a piss poor job by medical standards. "Well, we might as well have a look around. Be careful though; those homunculi could be anywhere."

* * *

"DAMNNN IT!" Envy yelled, scaring a good number of birds. "We had them!"

"Oh, get a grip, Envy." Lust muttered. "We were under strict orders not to kill them."

"LIKE I-"

"You KNOW what the master will do to you, only child or not." Envy quieted down, and shuddered.

"I'm so hungry." Gluttony muttered.

Lust sighed. "Let's go. Those siblings were smart enough to cover their tracks. We might as well try to find someone to point us in the right direction." Still, Lust had a feeling they were nowhere in Amestris anymore.

* * *

Ed took a bite of some berries, feeling famished from his encounter. "We'll probably have to set a trap, maybe catch a rabbit. We seem REALLY far away from civilization."

Alphonse only nodded; it wasn't a problem of his, although he wanted it to be. Still, it didn't mean that he couldn't help out his brother. "I'll go look for some twIIIEE!" Alphonse stepped into a canyon surrounded by bushes, and lost his footing, sliding down the hill.

"Al, hang on!" Edward dived in after him.

Finally, the brothers reached the floor. "Sorry, brother."

"Don't worry about it, Al. In fact, take a look." Ed pointed in front of them, and they found a small village. Most of the huts were on the ground, others were placed atop the trees.

"It's beautiful, Ed. I've never seen anything like it."

"Yeah, we should try to remember where this is next time so we can visit again. Although, the huts look a bit small."

"There's still enough room for you to stand at full height. Might be a problem for me, though." Al commented.

"WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING!" Ed scolded him.

As the two made their way across the bridge, the villagers began to come out. And that's when the brothers realized something was REALLY off. "Ed...is it just me, or am I seeing chimeras that look like humanoid animals?" If the holes in his helmet could change size, they would be the size of dinner plates.

Ed just stared in shock. "Al...we are so NOT in Amestris anymore..." The creatures took notice of them as well, and the two groups stared for the longest time. "Al...just back away slowly...you don't bother them, they won't bother you..."

"THERE'S A SWATBOT AND AN OVERLANDER IN KNOTHOLE!" Apparently the watchman sounded the alarm, sending the villagers into a panic. "ALERT THE PRINCESS AND FREEDOM FIGHTERS!"

The two alchemists made a break for it; granted, the villagers didn't look very threatening, but given the fact that the place was a big unknown for them, they didn't want to take any chances. However, a few of them blocked their way. Judging by the utility belts, it seemed they were soldiers or protectors. Their species included a pig, a porcupine, an armadillo, and a platypus. "Surrender at once, Overlander!" the pig commanded.

While the Elrics just tried to run away from trouble, the sight of anthropomorphic animals...most shorter than even Ed...was laughable. "You gotta be kidding me..."

However, he quickly regretted those words, as the Platypus thing hit him square in the face with a side kick. It wasn't the worst blow he felt, but their strength and agility surprised him. The pig and porcupine brought Al's arms down and threw him over, although it took them some effort. _"Good thing my head didn't fly off." _Al thought.

"You're not going anywhere, creep!" The platypus yelled. Ed and Al quickly recovered and put distance between them and their attackers.

"Sorry, but we beg to differ." Edward shot back. The two brothers, realizing they couldn't go easy on these creatures, got into fighting stances.

* * *

Sally received a signal on her wrist watch; not a good sign when all the Freedom Fighters were with her. "Sally here."

_**"Princess! An overlander and a swatbot have found Knothole! Your trainees are trying to keep them busy, but I'm afraid they won't be able to hold them off for much longer!" **_

"Don't worry!" Sonic declared. "I'm up, over, and gone!" In a flash, the hedgehog took off, with Tails taking to the air and following him closely.

"Everyone! We're not that far from the village! Follow me!" The rest of the Freedom Fighters took off after Sally.

* * *

"HAAA!" Edward sent the pig flying with an open palm strike from his right hand. The Armadillo made some decent punches towards Ed, but he blocked them all and knocked him down with his left leg. "You're good, but you haven't been force fed martial arts like we have!"

Alphonse blocked the platypus and porcupines attacks with his bare hands. Considering his size, there wasn't much need for technique; he just grabbed their fists and threw them back into the village. "Sorry; you should have let us go." he apologized, regretting hurting the creatures.

Edward threw the armadillo over him before putting some space between them. "Come on, Al! It's best we don't fight more of those-"

Just then the two brothers heard a whistling sound. "Ed, what is-"

Before the younger one could finish, something blue and incredibly fast knocked Ed over. Al tried to come to his aid, something came from the air and kicked Al down. "What the hell was that!" Ed screamed. Whatever it was, it was traveling as fast as a bullet, circling him. Finally, it came to a stop. Ed couldn't be sure, but it looked like some kind of hedgehog. The blue fur threw him off though. Meanwhile, Al was engaged with a fox, which was FLYING! "Oh great, now what?" The Alchemist muttered.

"Wow. The reports were right. And that looks like no Swatbot I've seen!" Sonic paid closer attention to Ed. "Hmph. For an overlander, he is short, though not nearly as small as Snoovely..."

As usual, that statement set Ed off. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT HE'S MISTAKEN FOR A BABY!" Ed charged him, and jumped into the air with a spinning kick. Sonic, taken off guard by his outburst, took a hit to the temple and was sent spinning to the floor.

Though the force with which he was struck surprised him, he quickly recovered, and smirked. "So, this one's got some skills. Fine then; let's play!" Sonic's legs moved so fast they seemed to merge into a red wheel. He then took off, and landed a solid right on Ed. Now THAT hurt like hell; even if the creature wasn't that strong, his speed made up for that.

"Damn!" The hedgehog kept circling around him, hitting him from everywhere. _"He's so fast, all I can see is a blue blur! Then again..." _Edward stuck out his metal arm, and Sonic caught it right in the throat. "...that's all I need!"

Sonic hacked and backed away. "Trying to rip off Bunnie, eh? Let's see you try that again, blondie!" Sonic charged again, but this time, Edward was ready. The moment Sonic revved up, Edward clapped his hands and transmuted the ground in front of him into a wall. By the time Sonic figured out what happened, he couldn't stop and ran right into the wall. "Ow."

The hedgehog slowly fell back, not even registering the retreating Ed giving him the middle finger. Edward was going to help Alphonse with his fight, but then his blue adversary popped out from the ground, cutting the humans cheek and throwing him on his back. "Cutting the date short?" Sonic asked in a mocking tone. He then spun his entire body in the air until he formed a blue ball, and went towards Ed.

Using his automail arm, Ed blocked it, but he was being pushed back several feet, and his sleeve was torn to shreds. "Damn...if it's a test of cutting you want, I'll give it to you!" Ed stepped away, and transmuted his automail arm into a sword, taking a swipe at the hedgehog and giving him a small cut across the cheek.

"How are you doing that!" Sonic asked in disbelief. Edward simply charged and sliced. Sonic responded by using his Sonic Spin to attack, but Ed only batted him away. The two began a duel of Sonic Spin vs. Automail arm...

* * *

"Take this you Swatbot!" Tails charged, knocking Alphonse to the ground again.

"Wait! I don't want to fight you!" Alphonse cried as he hurriedly got back up. Tails wasn't buying it, and tried to land another kick on the hunk of living metal. However, Alphonse simply caught it, and spun around, putting Tails in a lock. "Listen! We mean you no harm! We can leave right now if you want!"

Tails still wasn't listening; getting caught only caused him to panic. "Gotta...break free!" Tails increased the speed of his propulsion, hurling both him and Alphonse in the air.

"AHHH!" the young boy screamed.

* * *

Both Edward and Sonic were tiring. While Sonic was fast, Ed had his powerful limbs to back him up, plus his Alchemy threw the Hedgehog off each time. "One more time!"

The hedgehog charged, causing Ed to prepare for a full-frontal attack. However, at the last second, Sonic spun around, using the centripetal force to send Ed flying with a kick.

Sonic got into a Sonic Spin and charged, but Ed, down but not out, reacted in the nick of time, transmuting the ground in front of him into a ramp that sent Sonic flying. Ed observed as the hedgehog, thrown off guard by the sudden rise, was sent careening into a tree. And this time, he looked like he was knocked out cold. "That outta-"

"En garde!" Edward blocked an attack by a rapier with his automail arm, noticing it seemed to be another fox attacking him. "Surrender, or pay zee conzequenzes!" Ed had some trouble understanding him with that thick accent, but the words were not as important as his clear intent. As Antoine prepared another strike, Ed acted first and landed a solid front kick on him, causing Antoine to keel over.

"Now, for the blue-" A metal canister was thrown in his face, spewing green smoke. Ed choked on the poisonous fumes, and ran.

A walrus creature(whom he hated to admit was a tad taller than him) prepared another. "You like that? Come closer and I'll give you some more!" Rotor gestured him. Edward transmuted the ground and created a pike, and charged. Rotor ducked to avoid it, but something flew towards Edward and kicked him away.

"You could learn a thing or two in sportsmanship, sugar!"

Now this one certainly caught Edward's attention. It was a rabbit, on par with the anthropomorphic characteristics of everyone else. But what really caught his attention were her limbs. Her left arm and both legs were mechanical. "Automail?"

Edward's automail also didn't fail to escape the eyes of Bunnie. _"Roboticized escapee? But that would mean..."_ Bunnie put it in the back of her mind; just because Robotnik may have harmed the individual in front of her did not mean that he was a friend. "Heeyahhh!" Bunnie tried various karate kicks, but Ed flipped over them. "Hm. You got some fancy moves thare, sugar. Ah kinda like that." Finally, she shot him in the solar plexus with her metallic arm.

"Omph!" Edward flew back, reeling from the pain. "Her automail is even stronger than mine!" Ed then grunted as he realized his wound from Lust split open. "Damn it."

Bunnie's arm stretched, grabbing him by the collar. "Now, ya goin' to come quietly, or do ya need ta be put to sleep?"

"How 'bout neither, you freak!" Edward planted his palms on the ground, causing pillars to rise up and trap Bunnie's arm in place. Her strength decreased with distance, meaning her arm was now locked into place with no way out on her own.

"Uh!" Bunnie struggled. "No way!"

"I've had enough of this place!" Ed yelled. "I'm going drag Alphonse back to that temple and get us the hell out of here!" Granted, this was all his fault, but still...

Ed yelled in pain as something hit him in the back. "Enough!" Ed held his side and got up. At this point he wasn't surprised at what he saw; a chipmunk with auburn hair and a blue vest. Sally didn't give him any quarter, and attacked. Ed had to admit, he was impressed; her martial prowess was quite good. But she was still nowhere near teacher's level. Ed managed to defend himself, and Sally made sure to steer clear of his automail limbs. Sally landed another side kick, right were his wound opened, and Ed was brought to his knees. Sally prepared to strike again, but Ed caught her fist with his automail. "Auughhh!"

* * *

"Ugh!" Tails cried. "Heavy... Let...me...go!"

Alphonse was holding onto his legs, kicking while trying to avoid falling. "Please! Just put us down! You're going to get us killed!"

Tails began to pant erratically. "Can't...take it...anymore!" Tails passed out from exhaustion, and the two plummeted towards Knothole Village. Alphonse panicked momentarily, almost releasing Tails. However, realizing the poor thing could get hurt, Al tightened his grip and pulled the young mobian close to his chest, and oriented himself to fall back first...

* * *

Ed regretted hurting the creature like this, but survival (well, possibly) was at stake. Still, he couldn't shake off the sincerity in her eyes, like he was staring into someone who suffered as many hardships as him. He put it in the back of his head, and offered her an ultimatum. "Just let me and my brother go, and I promise..." Sally kicked him right in the chin, forcing him to let go. Sally winced as she held her hand; it was a long time since she felt dull, persisting pain like this. Edward, looking furious, transmuted his automail back into a sword. "THAT'S IT! NO MORE MISTER NICE ALCHEMIST!" Ed then noticed a shadow looming over him. "Huh?" The last thing he saw was Alphonse falling on top of him.

* * *

Ed woke up with a headache. "Oooh...that was one hell of a dream..." The Alchemist noted his surroundings, and felt a dull pain in his forehead. He saw that his bed couldn't quite contain his frame either, which was unusual.

"Hey Ed."

Edward looked to his left to see Alphonse sitting by the corner. "Oh, morning Al. I had the craziest dream..."

Ed looked closer, and saw that Al was in chains, and his own automail arm was still in sword form, handcuffed to the bed rail. "Um...the one about us being attacked by humanoid chimeras?" his brother asked.

Ed just stared at him with wide eyes. That could mean only one thing..."It wasn't a dream?"

"No, it wasn't...Mr. Edward Elric." The two brothers turned to face Sally, Sonic, and the rest of the Freedom Fighters in the doorway. Ed noted that the blue hedgehog and small bandages over his nose, as the chipmunk had her right hand covered in bandages as well, who then addressed them. "Your...brother...told me a few things about yourselves. But the main thing that caught my interest was that you came here from the temple, correct?" Ed, still looking at them dumbfounded, nodded. "That temple was supposedly a portal from another world. It seems you just got here before we also came up there to investigate."

Ed just looked away. "It's absurd...but then again, so is this." There was no other logical explanation other than insanity, so Ed accepted it. Ed then said "Well, if it's no trouble, we'll be on our way back then..." He tried to rise, only to forget he was handcuffed to the bed.

Bunnie then forced him back into the bed. "Not so fast, hon. We don't know if we can trust y'all or not."

"Yeah!" Sonic chimed in. "As far as I'm concerned, they could be working for Robuttnik!" Everyone noted in the room, however, could see the real anger came from being thrown into a tree.

"Who?" Alphonse asked. "Who the heck would give themselves such a ridiculous name?"

"Judging by how fast you answered, I'd guess no." Sally replied. "But Sonic's right; we can't trust you. At least, not yet."

"Hey! We tried to escape, but NOOO. You and your friends had to keep us here and fight us!" Ed complained.

"That's because we can't afford Robuttnik knowing about our village! We've had some mondo close calls, and we don't know who you are! Although..." Sonic eyed Ed's automail, chained to the bed rails. "...it seems to me you had an encounter with him from before."

"No, that's not true." Al responded.

"Then how 'dya explain that arm an leg?" Bunnie asked.

"I lost them in an accident, okay?" Ed said, hoping to redirect the attention. Sally wasn't buying it; what accident could have caused the loss of two limbs on different sides? It seemed she would find out soon enough, though, so she would let it slide for now. "So, what else has my little brother told you about?" Ed asked, hoping for the day to end and for them to get back home, never to speak about this experience again.

Sonic just looked back and fourth between them, unable to believe what Ed just called the big hunk of armor. "Little! That dude's a freakn' tank! Someone screwed up on their vitamin supplements..."

Tails answered "Nothing, really. It was part of a deal; he agreed to surrender so long as we didn't take off his suit; he said he needed it to live." Ed just looked at the young fox, in disbelief. "I hurled him up in the air, and he clung onto me. After a while, I got tired and fell. I would have been hurt pretty badly, but your brother protected me. We figured that you two couldn't be that bad, and he agreed to surrender so long as we didn't hurt you."

"In fact..." Alphonse interrupted. "That was the reason why you lost, brother. Sorry." The young boy chuckled sheepishly.

Ed just looked at him dejected. "I didn't lose Al, I was just the victim of an unfortunate accident...WHICH YOU COULD HAVE PREVENTED!" he suddenly screamed, pointing an accusing finger with his free hand.

"Don't look at me! He flew up so fast, by the time I realized what was happening..."

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT, YOU WOULD'VE SURVIVED! HECK, YOU DID!"

As the brothers continued to bicker Sally just held her forehead in anguish. Fate of the world in her hands, and now she had to deal with these two oddballs. "Actually, to be honest Sal, maybe they're alright; I mean, none of the baddies we've come across treat anyone like actual family."

Sally had a feeling he was right, but safe was better than sorry. While she hated the fact she was judging them based on their kind, she simply couldn't risk her people's safety. "Hm-hm." The brothers continued to bicker, with Alphonse becoming increasingly aggressive as well. "Excuse me..." Sally said. Still nothing, just the brothers continuing to shout. In an out of character display, she shouted "EXCUSE ME, I'M TALKING HERE, AND AS PRINCESS, I CAN LOCK YOU BOTH AWAY IN A DUNGEON ON A WHIM, ESPECIALLY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY HAND YOU BLOND JERK!"

The two brothers just stopped and looked at her, almost certain they misheard her. "Wait...YOU'RE a princess?" Ed asked, refusing to believe what he just heard. "An Honest-to-God Princess?"

Sally just rolled her eyes; these fellas definitely weren't from around here. "Yes! Princess Sally of the house of Acorn." Ed and Al only looked at in disbelief. This infuriated Sally only more. "Oh, that's-"

Ed held up his real hand and said "N-no! Forgive us, your highness! It's just, we're not used to...uh...princesses like you! You're a lot different!" That was certainly an understatement.

Sally just sighed. "This is going nowhere..."

"Okay, enough!" Sonic stepped in; usually he let Sally handle it, but he had a feeling he was the best candidate to talk to them. "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. We're kinda in the middle of a war, and we we're not in much of a position to just let strangers come and go as they please. Especially..."

Sally interrupted him before he could continue. She didn't want to tell them their suspicions were based on their race; if they were good people, she could make an enemy. If they were bad, she might have the situation explode in front of her. "It's obvious that we're off to a bad start. But I'm afraid the two of you will have to endure. Dulcy will come back in three days; she'll determine for sure if you two are telling the truth." She then walked over and un-cuffed Ed, while Bunnie took care of Al. "Normally, I would confine you to a hut, or even our make-shift prison. But after what your little brother did for Tails, I feel its safe enough to allow you to roam about the confines of the village for now." She then narrowed her eyes at the pair, mostly at Ed. "However, I will expect you to help out with certain things."

Ed thought about it for a minute and realized that this was his trademark phrase calling. "Equivalent Exchange, huh? Okay, as long as this 'Dulcy' you're talking about comes, that sounds fair enough."

Sally never heard the term equivalent exchange before, but it made sense. "Okay then." Sally helped Edward off the bed, and Al took over. "Your wound is all stitched up; it wasn't serious, but could have become infected if you let it go. Your head might be throbbing, but Dr. Quack says it's nothing to worry about."

Ed's face turned sour upon hearing "Doctor" and "Quack" in the same sentence. "I think you need to either raise your standards or get the guy to change his name." he muttered.

Sally then walked in front of the Freedom Fighters and faced the two brothers. "While this is perhaps not the most becoming of circumstances...Edward and Alphonse Elric...I welcome you to the Village of Knothole."


	3. The Truth

Hi! Here's the next chapter. While I kinda figured that the SonicXFMA crossover is a rather small appeal...c'mon, dudes! Give some reviews!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

The three homunculi stared at the site before them. "Wow...we've really made a wrong turn." Envy commented.

"To be honest...I don't think we're even in our world anymore." Lust said. A great city stood before them. But instead of concrete, the buildings were made of steel, and higher than anything they had seen before. Black smog also surrounded the city, and any vegetation growing nearby began to rapidly decay.

"Whew. Doesn't look like a place I want to be." Envy said.

"Still, we've no other leads, so let's take a look."

"Can I eat people there?" Gluttony asked, sucking on his finger.

"Not until we've got some answers." Lust replied.

* * *

"Interesting." Robotnik was doing research on something that occurred on the Floating Island. Something was radiating Chaos Energy; its readings were off the charts, not even the Chaos Emerald that it had maintaining its position in the atmosphere would radiate that much Chaos Energy. However, whatever the source was, it was launched into space. "It seems I'll have to question the little red guardian directly..."

Then, the mechanical door to his war room opened. "You wanted to see me, sir?" Snively twiddled his thumbs, knowing this wasn't going to be good. 3 potential slaves lost, all because of Sonic; what was the BEST that could happen? He already had to spend a day in a cell.

"Yes, Snively." Robotnik replied as he swung his chair around. Just as Snively predicted, he brought up video feed of Sonic's escapade from the day before. "Now, how do you explain THIS!"

Snively sweated profusely, knowing his situation was hopeless now. "S-Sir, I tried to stop him! I called security, but like usual, he escaped and saved them!"

"ENOUGH WITH YOUR MISERABLE EXCUSES, SNIVELY!" Robotnik screamed, slamming his left fist on his control panel. "I will no longer tolerate-"

The alarms then went off. Robotnik took his attention off his nephew and brought up the new images. What he saw shocked him, nonetheless. "Overlanders? In my city?"

This caught Snively's attention too. "Perhaps those that survived whatever disaster befell Megaopolis?"

"We'll find out soon enough." He pressed a button to a channel his swatbots were tuned into. "Attention Swatbots. There are three overlanders in our fair city. Bring them to me."

* * *

"Fascinating." Lust commented. "I've never seen anything like this." The technology was nothing the homunculi have seen before, and they wondered what science, if any, made it work.

"It's a freakn' dump. And there's no one around." Envy grumbled.

Lust sighed. "True; I doubt Fullmetal would take shelter here. Let's head back to the temple, and find out if we can-"

_**"Freeze! Raise your hands, prisoners!" **_The three looked at metallic suits of armor, more slender and possessing flatter heads than Alphonse did. They were also pointing guns at them, and the homunculi mistakenly thought it was nothing to worry about.

"I take it we just can't walk away from this one, huh?" Envy asked, then smiled. He approached them, cracking his knuckles "Well, I need to blow off some-" Then, the guns fired, but no bullets came, only rays of light. As soon as they hit Envy, he went down.

_**"Surrender now." **_The Swatbots repeated.

Lust and Gluttony reluctantly raised their hands, while Envy was picked up like a sack of potatoes. "You'll regret this." Lust warned them.

* * *

The three were then put in shackles. By this point, Envy woke up. "So, I assume we're waiting for the big head-honcho to appear?" Envy ventured a guess.

The doors opened, and the three didn't know what to make of it. A fat man in a gaudy outfit and cape walked in, accompanied by what seemed to be a dwarf with only some hair. "Ah, welcome to Robotropolis. I am your host, Dr. Ivo Robotnik, supreme ruler of Mobius." he gestured with his arm.

"Sure doesn't feel like it." The Lust commented.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it soon enough. Overlanders like you and I are rare nowadays; in fact, it's believed by many that Snively and I are the last...until we met you anyway." he grinned, cupping her cheek.

"Loose 100 pounds, grow some hair, and your chances will SLIGHTLY go up." Lust warned him. "VERY slightly."

Robotnik just gave a snicker. "Ah, but you misunderstand. I'm not interested in children, no no no. I normally have a procedure for all organic life-forms on this planet, but for you three, I can make an exception. All you have to do is...obey me."

"Bite me!" Envy yelled. He broke free of his shackles, surprising everyone except his comrades, and wrecked the Swatbots to junk, this time wary of their lasers.

Snively was already panicking; while Robotnik was surprised, he didn't panic just yet. "Well done, well done. I certainly wasn't expecting that; I most certainly can use you. But disobedience will not be tolerated, and I'll show you why." Pressing a button on his arm, he had Lust's contraption move into a platform, and a cylinder descended upon Lust. "My policy is that any organic life found is roboticized to become my slave." The Roboticizer activated, causing Lust to scream in pain.

"Lust!" Gluttony cried before a swatbot pointed a gun to his head, stopping him.

"It's no use!" Robotnik yelled. "In a few minutes..." The computer then began to erupt sparks, triggering the alarm. "Snively, what's happening!"

Snively quickly tried to get an analysis before permanent damage was done to the console. "Sir, I don't understand! The robotization process is being halted by the lady's own cells! The machine's trying to put more energy into it, but her cells are regenerating faster than it can replace her flesh with metal!"

Finally, the cylinder blew up, forcing the two overlanders to shield themselves. Lust came out as some half-mechanical monstrosity. However, everything metal fell off to give way to organic tissue. Finally Lust was back to normal. She moaned, and fell to her knees. "That was...strange." She immediately stood back up, extending her nails to pierce Robotnik's shoulder and pinning him to the other side of the room. Envy released Gluttony, who proceeded to grab Snively and hold his head in his mouth.

"W-Wait!" Robotnik yelled, hoping to abate the situation. "Perhaps we can strike some kind of deal. After all...you are lost, are you not?" Lust pulled back slightly, allowing Robotnik to pull the finger-spear out. "Surely, you must've heard about me if you're from this world! And you're no mere overlander. I think it's...best that we hear each other out, don't you agree?" Despite the pain and surprise, he managed to put on a confident smile, even though he was bluffing. "I've a feeling, in the near future, we'll need each other."

Lust stared at him, not completely trusting him. However, it looked like he was the only one who could help her at the moment. Figuring she dominated him for now, she decided to go through with his proposal. She retracted her spears, and signaled at Gluttony to let Snively go. "Tell us everything about this world. Everything."

* * *

Edward and Alphonse had a good look around Knothole village. They still couldn't get over the variety of creatures they saw. It weirded them out even more that the supposedly different species could breed together without producing weird hybrids. Clothing also seemed to be optional and worn more for fashion than function or modesty; it probably didn't matter to them as the Elrics didn't find anything on the under dressed residents they weren't supposed to see (nor would they want to). "Our journey just keeps getting weirder and weirder." Ed commented.

A full day had passed since their intrusion. None of the villagers trusted them, and the Elrics made it a point to give the mobians their space unless approached. The glares he got only proved his point. The Princess didn't put Ed to work the other day, citing his injuries. His headache was gone, and the doctor proved to be quite competent and was able to remove Ed's stitches once he sealed up the wound with alchemy again. However, there was something that bothered them...

"Brother...you think we should tell them about the homunculi?" Al asked.

"I don't know; we haven't been told anything much about them either. It's probably best to wait and see if we can trust them. Even if we could, there's a possibility that in doing so we'll give them an encounter with those 3. I think it's best for now we keep our mouths shut on that one. Besides, they're murderers, but I doubt that they would go out of their way to hurt these guys, so long as they stayed out of each others way."

"Yo!" Sonic suddenly stopped in front of them, causing the brothers to brace themselves out of instinct. "So, just taking a tour of the town?"

Ed answered "Yeah...you could say that. We're still not used to this world." Ed was still rather uneasy around Sonic, given the battle they had.

The feeling was certainly mutual. As per usual with anyone he got in a fight with, Sonic did not trust them, and only addressed them now because he was told to. It wasn't much; he could do this and get it over with "Well, anyway, Sal's found a job for ya. Follow me...if you can!" Sonic took off, leaving a brief trail of flame on the dirt.

"Hey, wait for us!" Ed cried, as the two tried to follow him.

* * *

The Elric brothers ran to keep up with Sonic...in vain...and came across a ruined hut. Sally was already there with some tools. Ed noted her bandages from yesterday had been removed; a part of him was relieved that he didn't hurt her badly from their encounter. "Sorry to put you to work so soon boys, but we've got a lot on our hands, and I figure you could help out with this. We had a storm a couple of days ago, and the family living here needs it fixed. We have quite a few more that weren't so lucky." Sally handed Edward a hammer. "So..."

Ed handed the hammer back. "Oh, don't worry your highness. Those won't be necessary." Ed walked over to the hut, and took note of everything laid out before him. "This is everything you need?"

"Uh...yes, but Edward, I don't understand how..." Ed clapped his hands and placed them on the hut, causing a bright light emerged. When it vanished, the hut was back to normal; in fact, to Sally it looked better than ever! "How...how did you do that?" Sally asked, stunned beyond belief.

"Is that the same magic you pulled when we fought?" Sonic asked, equally in awe.

"It's not magic; it's alchemy." Edward replied. Then, a thought occurred to him. "You guys...do understand what alchemy is, right?"

Sally replied "A little; the ability to transform lead and other material into anything you want, correct?"

Ed corrected her "Not quite, princess. It's the process of determining the construction of a given object, breaking it down and reconstructing it. You can make most any shape you want, but you can't increase the mass without supplemental materials. Making it smaller means you're eliminating unnecessary elements. Also, whatever you create, it has to be made up of whatever you started with. To obtain, something of equal value must be given. That is alchemy's law of equivalent exchange."

Sally followed it just fine, but was nonetheless awed by it. Sonic, of course, was totally lost. "That's what you said in the infirmary..." the princess noted.

"It's also the philosophy we Alchemists live by..."

They turned to see Alphonse drawing a circle around another hut that was damaged. "Okay, tell everyone to stay out of the circle." Alphonse warned the villagers. Alphonse held is hands up, and immediately the hut was surrounded by a bright light, and the hut seemingly put itself back together.

Needless to say, the villagers were amazed. "Wow!"

"How'd ya do that!"

"Are you some kind of magician?"

Sonic, for once demonstrating observation skills, took note of the different techniques the brothers used to do their alchemy. "What was that he was drawing there?"

"A transmutation circle. It's the space that allows the energy within ourselves to flow and make a controlled alchemical reaction."

"How come you don't have to do it?" the hedgehog asked. Ed seemed to struggle for an answer, and just walked away. "What was that all about?" Sonic asked, slightly miffed.

Sally looked at them suspiciously too. "I don't know. It seemed like he didn't want to say; he looked hurt, in fact. It seems like something bad happened to him." Sally looked at Sonic and said "I don't think we should worry about it for now." The two then saw that the Elrics were surrounded by the villagers, asking them to fix various objects. It seemed it was more to observe their alchemy than to have anything important fixed. Sally's lips curved into a smile, and she said "Sonic, get everyone in the kitchen! I think we can actually trust them!"

For once, Sonic was inclined to agree, but only just. "I see where you're coming from, but Sal..."

"Don't worry Sonic; the limits I put on them will still be in place, and we'll know for sure once Dulcy comes."

* * *

"Mobius. " Lust stated, staring at the screen in front of her and still having trouble believing everything she was told. "Yes." Robotnik replied. "Though, I must admit: I am rather skeptical about how you came here, and I've experimented with different dimensions before. I don't see how a portal to another world could possibly be achieved through a mere temple."

"I find it hard to believe such things could exist, but here we are." Lust replied.

"Quite." The conversation was interrupted when a bluish robot with spines and a mustache came in with a tray of food. "Ah, unit 2275. Place the tray over there. Our fat guest is quite hungry."

The unit did so, and Gluttony ate it all, including the utensils and tray, in one bite. "He will never be satisfied; perhaps you could capture one of those animals?" Envy asked.

"I'm still hungry, and this tastes bad." Gluttony whined.

Robotnik sighed, realizing he already had a problem on his hands. "I prefer to robotocize them, my dear. So many projects, so little help. But I'll be sure to feed my next batch to your friend there."

While she pretended to be impassive, Lust was still in awe of the world around her. The technology in front of her would certainly come in handy. And the chaos emeralds...could it be even more powerful than a philosopher's stone? She couldn't let this opportunity go to waste. Though there was no doubt in her mind that Robotnik would try to betray them, but as long as she kept an eye on him, she figured it would work out quite well in her favor. She turned and smiled at him. "Well, why settle for one world when you can have two?"

Robotnik wasn't quite buying it, but that was to be expected. "And what does your world have to offer? From what I've gathered, your world's technology is inferior to mine. Once I enslave this entire planet, that should be enough. What could you possibly offer that I don't already have?"

"You are a brilliant scientist, Dr. Robotnik, but in our world, it is alchemy, not this technology, that drives our world. It can become a great weapon and asset for you; using nature's own elements against those that oppose you, the ability to fix things or create them all by yourself...the possibilities are large. Also, has immortality interested you?" Now that caught Robotnik's attention. "My comrades and I are attempting to create the Philosopher's Stone, an item that can bypass the laws of equivalent exchange. Even give one eternal life."

Robotnik moaned at the mention of that. "Yes. Yes! Now you're talking!"

"So, we have a deal then? You find a way for us to go back to our world, and we will share our resources with you. The downside is, you'll have to leave your city unguarded..."

"No, no." Robotnik waved her off. "It's not a problem at all. I can make arrangements to keep it safe."

Lust had him there. "Excellent. My master will be pleased."

This took Robotnik off-guard. "You mean...?"

"You'll meet her soon enough."

Robotnik got over it quickly. "No matter. I believe this will be a worthy partnership." He took the homunculus's hand and the shook.

Little did either of them know, the robot that had just served Gluttony heard the entire thing. "I need to warn Sonic, now!"

* * *

"Princezz, you are being too generouz!" Antoine protested as Sally helped everyone with preparing the feast.

"Antoine, they're not bad people; at this point I'm simply following protocol. Besides, they certainly took a lot off our hands with their Alchemy." she noted while setting the table.

Sonic was making chili dogs in the kitchen (the only thing he knew how to make) and spoke for Sally. "Hey, I'm not sure what to think about them much either, but they ain't nothing like Buttnik. Besides, I nearly fell into it too, but I don't wanna judge them just because they're overlanders."

"Sugar!" Bunnie called Antoine while trying to prevent the cookies from catching on fire. "Come an' give me a hand here!"

* * *

Edward poured some water from the well over him, and sighed. The villagers had exhausted him; once they were put to work, EVERYONE had something to fix. "Jeez, they're worse than some of the other small towns I've been to."

"Brother!" Alphonse called, running up to him. "The Princess invited us to dinner! I guess this means they trust us now."

On one hand, Edward was famished. On the other, he had NO idea what these creatures ate; in fact, back home he technically ate a good portion of these creatures. He could only imagine how horrified Bunnie would be if he mentioned the time he and Al spent on the island catching rabbits. Not to mention he was worried they would be fed grass, bugs, or if they were lucky, raw meat. Still, she could've locked them away as she saw fit, and she was giving them the benefit of the doubt. Besides, ever since they came here and the misunderstanding was sorted out, she was being perfectly reasonable. He figured that if it was something he couldn't eat, he could just politely turn it down. Quickly, Ed put on his shirt and jacket. "Well, let's go then. Wouldn't want to keep our hosts waiting."

* * *

"Welcome!" the Freedom Fighters, even Sonic, said as the Elrics entered.

Ed looked at the table, impressed. These "Mobians" really went all out. While it looked mostly vegetarian, it all looked fresh and ripe. There was some meat as well, although Ed was suspicious about the source, but at least it was clearly cooked. Edward's stomach practically roared. Sally beckoned them. "Edward, Alphonse, please; have a seat."

The two Elrics squeezed into the chairs they were given (thankfully Al's seem to have been custom made), and realized they had a bit of a problem: Al! _"Oh crap!" _Ed thought. Alphonse would try to fool everyone by lifting his helmet and plopping the food in, but everyone was suspicious whenever Al did that; he doubted these aliens would be any exception. "Wow, this looks great!" Ed exclaimed hoping to take the attention off Al.

"Well, after how much you and your brother helped out, I figured it was the least we could do. At this point, any restrictions placed are simply protocol! I would like to officially welcome you both to Knothole Village!" Both brothers could tell she was being absolutely sincere.

The Freedom Fighters raised their mugs, and the brothers did the same. "Uh...thank you. It's been quite a harrowing journey for us, and to be honest I don't know how we'll get back home. But, we'll definitely remember meeting some kind...and interesting people!" Everyone brought their mugs together, and drank.

Ed was relieved to taste some very good cider; Al of course lifted his helmet and poured it in.

"Uh...Al..." Sonic commented. "You know, it'd be easier if you TOOK OFF your helmet."

Al seemed to panic for a moment. "Uh...sorry! I really can't! I need this armor to stay on at all times!" There was silence at the table. _"Oh crap! You really blew it for us, Al!" _Ed thought.

"Wow...that's gotta suck." Sonic commented.

Sally however, knew something was wrong; she didn't even catch a glimpse of Al's face. She didn't believe Alphonse to be robot though; Ed would have probably said so otherwise. _"Something's not adding up here..." _She put it in the back of her mind for now, and said "We apologize. Please, do what you need to; after all, we don't want to force you to do anything you're uncomfortable with. As you were."

Everyone resumed. Ed found he rather enjoyed the fruits and vegetables they had gathered, and the meat was not bad either. Al, of course, simply plopped everything into his armor. "What's this?" Ed asked, holding what seemed to be some kind of sausage in a bun with something on top.

"A chili dog!" Sonic exclaimed. "Try it you'll love it!"

Edward took a bite. It was incredibly spicy, but very tasty as well. "Wow! You weren't kidding!"

Ed had some more, as did Al in his usual fashion. "Mmm. Yeah." he replied, trying his best to act like he was actually eating. Just then, Nichole emitted a beeping sound.

_**"Incoming call from Sir Charles, Sally." **_

Sally got up from her chair and excused herself. "I'm sorry, but I must take this call."

"Mind if I listen with ya, Sal?" Sonic asked.

"Of course not, Sonic; excuse us please." With that, the two mobians left their comrades to keep the Elrics company.

* * *

"Come in, Uncle Chuck." Sally spoke into Nichole's speaker.

_**"Princess, we have some new guests here in Robotropolis! Apparently, Robotnik has formed a new alliance!" **_

Sonic groaned; he only hoped at least that whoever it was would betray and humiliate the fat overlander. "With whom?"

_**"I've never heard about individuals like these. Three overlanders...or that's what they look like; they seem to have abilities above any normal overlander I've ever encountered. But from what I gather, they're apparently from another world. They're talking about combining forces to conquer both worlds!" **_

Sally and Sonic just looked at each other, realizing that it could only mean one thing. "They weren't alone!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

_**"What!" **_Uncle Chuck asked over the communicator.

Sally said "We've got visitors of our own. And their origin sounds awfully familiar. We'll get back to you on this one. Sally out."

Sally closed Nichole while Sonic ranted. "Damn it! I knew I should've gone with my instincts! They can't be trusted!"

Sally, as usual, remained calm while Sonic was itching for a fight. "I don't think that's the case...not yet anyway. It seems they have a complicated past, and the three that Uncle Chuck mentioned might be connected." Sally then turned to face the dinning room door. "Nonetheless, I can't afford to be generous anymore. We need the truth, and it seems we'll have to do it without Dulcy."

Sally pulled Nichole back up. "Nichole, did Uncle Chuck send a recording?"

_**"Affirmative, Sally." **_

Sonic then walked towards the door. "Alright, time to see what those two are really about."

* * *

"So, this Alchemy allows ya to make anything you want?" Bunnie asked.

"Most anything, as long as you start with the same components you had." Edward replied, explaining Alchemy to the other freedom fighters. "Some specialize in certain types of Alchemy, like some windbag we know." Ed added, thinking of Mustang. "And there are some taboos as well; for example, making gold is forbidden, as it would cause a country's inflation rate to sky rocket out of control."

"Hey, can I have you do some tests with this Alchemy?" Rotor asked. "I doubt we could learn it, but I bet I can whip up something to duplicate the effects."

Alphonse replied "I don't have a problem with that. Just-"

The conversation was interrupted when Sonic and Sally came in. "Yo! What's the big idea, forgetting to mention you brought friends along with you!"

Edward knew who Sonic was referring too. If they were here... "Where are they!"

"So you ARE working with them!"

Sonic pounced on Edward, knocking him off his chair. Edward threw him of with a sacrifice throw and transmuted his arm again. "What the hell's your problem!"

Alphonse restrained Sonic while Bunnie did the same with Edward. "Calm down, everyone! What in tarnation is going on, Sugar-hog?"

"Everyone, stop!" Sally commanded. Ed and Sonic managed to calm down, but were still sending each other death-glares. "Edward...I have just got intel from one of my spies. Three overlanders have joined Robotnik, and their origin sounds similar to yours." Sally had Nichole project what Uncle Chuck recorded, showing the three individuals.

"It's them!" Alphonse said.

"So, when'ya gonna leak our location!" Sonic yelled.

"Sonic, that's enough!" Sally snapped. She put Nichole away. "I'm guessing there's more to this than meets the eye, correct?" Sally asked Edward.

"It's a very, very long story." Ed replied, thankful that someone in the room was willing to listen..

Sally continued "I wanted to avoid inquiring too much about your past, especially lately today with everything you've done for us. But these three are now working with Robotnik, and now we need to know everything about you...and about them."

Ed and Al looked at each other. "Brother, we have to tell them. We can't let our problems bring harm to them."

"You're right, Al." Edward faced Sally, and bowed. "I apologize, your highness. We intended to take care of those three and drag them with us back home without getting you involved. But I suppose it's too late for that." Edward straightened up and looked her in the eyes. "However, we need to know about this world too. I doubt you are in any way bad people, but if we're going to help, we can't risk giving our strength to the wrong hands."

Sally just commented "Equivalent exchange, huh?"

Ed smiled. "Now you're catching on."

* * *

Later that night, Sally gathered everyone by the fire, deep in the forest. "So, who goes first?" Sonic asks.

"I think we should, Sonic." Sally answered. After all, they're strangers here." Sally took a deep breath, preparing a tale that was not only relevant to everyone in Knothole, but personal to her as well. "We were not always hidden away in this village." Sally began as she pulled out Nichole and pulled up a holographic projection of the old Mobotropolis, as Ed and Al stared in awe. A brief scene of a battle between what seemed to be humans and the Mobians was played as well. "This was our home, ruled by my father, King Acorn. We ended the Great War, and were finally at piece. However, it was not to last." The image then brought up armored figures, capturing the citizens and ships fouling up the air. "Warlord Julian staged a coup, renaming our city Robotropolis and himself Robotnik." The brothers found an obese man overlooking the city with sinister eyes that gave the homunculi a run for their money. "Soon afterwards, he overthrew and exiled my father." The image then showed what seemed to be a bird put into a tube. When it came in contact with some weird energy, it changed into an armored form similar to Al. "Those who disobeyed were roboticized, transformed into mindless slaves."

Ed just looked at the transformation in awe. _"It's just like Al...only..." _

"We were children at the time, and our guardians took us here to Knothole. We've remained hidden since, but slowly Robotnik is cutting down the Great Forest. It's only a matter of time before he eventually comes here. He's also been trying to take over the whole world, roboticizing everything he can. That's why me and my friends became Freedom Fighters; we haven't been able to do much to overthrow him, but we've at least stopped him from staging an outright takeover of the planet."

"How old were you when this happened?" Alphonse asked.

Sally looked taken aback by the question. "Most of us were all 5 years old when it all happened." Sally replied, looking away, obviously disturbed by the memory.

Ed elbowed Al in the side; while he couldn't feel it, he got the message. "Way to go, Al." he muttered.

"It's alright." Sally said. "It was a long time ago."

"He also roboticized my uncle and my dog." Sonic interrupted. "They regained their freewill, but he's now staying undercover as our spy."

"My family is now a herd of mind-controlled slaves" Rotor added.

"He's also tha reason mah arm and legs are like this." Bunnie chimed in, pointing to her robotic limbs. "If it wasn't for Sonic, ah'da been gone entirely."

Ed met some bad people, but to do this to an entire race...the only thing comparable was the Ishvalan war, but even then the government came under criticism and policies were made, however mediocre and half-hearted, to reprimand what had been done.

"That's really all I have to tell you about this world." Sally finished

"No wonder the villagers were so hostile to us before. These overlanders have given you bad memories, haven't they?" Ed asked. He doubted he would behave much different had he been more involved in the Ishvalan war to some degree.

Sally answered "I really tried hard not to judge you based on your race, but..."

"Don't worry about it." Alphonse interrupted. "We have plenty of bad people in our world too. Not to mention our own government has done some terrible things too."

Edward threw some more wood into the fire and began his tale. "The beginning of our lives wasn't much. Our father abandoned us when we were really little, leaving our mom to raise us. All we had were each other. However, I took an affinity to the alchemic research our dad left behind; me and my brother studied it all the time, showing off our skills to Mom. However, we didn't know that Mom was sick, and one day she just couldn't take it anymore. She eventually died, leaving us alone." Ed stood silent, as the others beckoned him to continue. "Then, Al and I made a vow, to see Mom smile again."

Al continued for his brother. "We found us a teacher who could teach us the true ways of Alchemy. It took months of hard work, but it paid off, as both Ed and I were accomplished Alchemists at the end of the training."

Feeling he had to tell this part, Ed took over. "Then, we proceeded to perform the worst taboo in alchemy: Human Transmutation."

Sally looked at them stunned. That could mean only one thing..."You mean...you tried to bring your mother back to life?"

Ed looked down in shame. "You're too smart, princess."

Allowing his brother to gather up the courage to tell the most important part of the past, Alphonse began. "We gathered up all the components of the human body, plus our own blood."

Ed was able to continue from there. "We began the process, but something went wrong. I should have seen it coming; after all, to obtain, something of equal value must be lost. But what could equal the value of a human soul?" No one knew where this was going, but it wasn't going to be good. "When the process began, I saw Al taken into a portal, being taken apart by dark tendrils. Those same tendrils took me, and I was brought before a gate."

"What kind of gate?" Antoine asked.

"No one knows. But the doors opened, and I was pulled in. And that's when I learned the truth: How molecules are connected, the truth of Alchemy...all poured into my head. At first, I was ecstatic to have learned so much...it seemed that if nothing else, I was on the verge of performing human transportation properly. However, I was returned to my world. Al was nowhere to be seen, and I realized my left leg was gone." Ed pulled his pant leg to emphasize his point. "And I witnessed what we brought to life...it wasn't our mother. It was just a disgusting concoction of human body parts, nothing was how it should have been had we done it correctly." It took him a moment to continue. "I realized that Al's body was taken to the other side of the Gate, and I didn't have much time. I crawled to the other side of the room, knocking down a piece of armor. Using the blood pouring out of my leg, I drew a transmutation circle inside the armor. I offered up everything to the other side of the gate, even my heart. So long as Al was returned to me, I didn't care." Edward pulled the sleeve of his right arm to show them his metal prosthetic. "I lost my arm in the process..." he sighed regretfully. "But I was just glad that Al was by my side again."

"...and now...I'm like this." Al stood up and removed his helmet, causing everyone to gasp in shock, seeing nothing was inside the armor. Except Antoine of course, who fainted. Sonic started to feel like a jerk for going off on them again like that. Most everyone in Knothole knew the pain of loosing someone, but to pay so dearly just to see lost loved ones again...

Sally had her head hung low too, regretting that she asked them only to be rewarded with such a tragic tale. "You don't have to say anymore. I-"

"No, you need to hear the rest of this. Equivalent exchange means you have to take it all when you give it all, like it or not." Edward continued. "My attempts at human transmutation caught the eye of a State Alchemist. Apparently, he was looking for my father, but upon learning of my own talents as well, he offered me a chance to become a State Alchemist. Alchemists of the State were given the highest privileges in alchemic research; with that research, I could find a way to get Al's body back and my own limbs." Deciding he could leave out the part about Tucker, he continued. "I passed the state certification, becoming known as the Fullmetal Alchemist. For years, I've been trying to find a lead to restore what we lost. The latest clue I've come upon was the Philosopher's Stone, a compound that is said to be able to bypass the laws of Equivalent Exchange and amplify one's Alchemical Powers. That's when we met the homunculi that are now working with that Robot guy."

Sonic asked "What's a Homunkulaye?"

"HOMONCULI." Edward corrected him. "They are beings that are created from Alchemy. They have superhuman abilities, and cannot be killed by normal means. Lust, the woman, can extend her fingers into spears. Gluttony can eat anything, LITERALLY. And Envy can shape shift into anything."

"Oh great, Buttnik was bad enough as it is..." Sonic groaned. They fought some tough customers, but he knew this new batch was going to be a whole other mess of trouble.

Ed said "Here's the thing. We've given up on the Philosopher's Stone, at least, in the traditional method it is made..."

Sally didn't like where this was going. If they gave up on it...that could only mean something bad was behind it. "How is the Philosopher's Stone made?"

"With live human beings." Edward replied. "Or overlanders, as you call us." Everyone gasped in shock, wondering what kind of a world Ed and Al could have come from.

"So, they want the philosopher's stone for power?" Sally asked.

"Not exactly." Ed replied. "From what I've read, homunculi cannot perform alchemy. So, a philosopher's stone would be useless to them. However, if what Lust told me was correct, they want it to become human again." This certainly through the freedom fighters for a loop. Everyone they've fought either wanted riches, power, or immortality. But...to simply be normal? How could any sane person live with that?

"And they're willing to sacrifice other people to do it?" Sally asked, certain the answer was yes.

Ed replied "They nearly got ME to; I was desperate to return Al back to normal."

"So, where does this all lead to you coming here?" Rotor asked, reminding them of the most relevant part for _them._

"We were on our way to meet Teacher." Alphonse replied. "But we go caught up in arresting a rogue alchemist. Brother found he had a map, and wanted to check it out. Apparently, the Homunculi didn't want us there. We fought, and then this light shone over us. I was the only one who wasn't disoriented by the light, so I took Ed and ran. And that's how we met you."

Sally then asked "Do you have any idea how you got here? How you or the homunculi activated the portal?"

Ed thought about it for a minute, and remembered something. "Both Envy and I got cut in the scuttle. Our blood mixed, and that's when the reaction started."

"So, all ya' have ta do is do it again, right. Ah mean, I don't want ya to hurt yourself, but..."

"It's possible, but it wouldn't be easy." Ed answered. "Especially now that they teamed up with that red fatty."

"Brother, with that technology, he could conquer all of Amestris! We can't let that happen!"

"You're right Al." Edward sat up from his log and faced all the Freedom Fighters. "Normally, we try to avoid getting caught up in others problems. But we'll get those 3 away from here. Once we do that, we'll destroy the temple on our side to ensure this doesn't happen again, ever!" It was then that everyone noticed the embers had died out.

Sally stretched her arms, both from fatigue and depression from listening to the Elrics' story. "It's late. We're going to have to pull out all the stops for this, and that means we have to wait for Dulcy the day after tomorrow. Edward, are you sure nothing can stop these Homunculi?"

"If I did, I would have told you, gladly." Edward replied.

Sally then said "That was quite a story you told us.. I almost feel as if what we've been through..."

"Don't say that, Princess." Alphonse interrupted. "Ed and I are pretty disheartened to hear about what Robotnik did to your family, your city, and this planet as well. Right, Ed?" The living suit of armor looked to his brother.

Ed nodded in agreement. He then stretched and yawned. "Well, I think we should turn in. Wouldn't you agree, Princess?"

"Yes, I think so. It's past Tails' bed time anyway. "

"Aunt Sally, I'm not a kid anymore!" The young fox protested.

"Come on, Tails." Sonic patted his shoulder and walked with him to his hut. "G'night everyone." he said, still at a loss for words for what the Elrics told him.

One by one, the Freedom Fighters retired for the night, some expressing their remorse for what the brothers went through. "Antoine, would you mind showing these two the guest hut?" Sally asked him as she trailed behind the others.

Antoine groaned at the prospect of playing chuffer, but his upbringing and yearning for her affections would not allow him to disobey her. "Afollow me." he told the Elrics as they trailed after him.

The Freedom Fighters would lay awake later night, the shock they went through hearing Ed and Al's story still fresh in their minds. They all knew that both the Elrics and the Homunculi would forever change their world, for better or for worse. All they could do was to ensure that the future would be a bright one for both.


	4. Learning From One Another

Hello! Sorry this took so long to update, but stress in life got in the way. I hope that this chapter is worth it, and more will be on the way soon!

Disclaimer: I possess nothing!

* * *

Ed woke up, his mind putting itself together like it usually did. However, today was different; for this time, he was in another world, one filled with the woodland animals he and his brother were familiar with, only anthropomorphic. He had just recently learned many things about this place, and now like it or not, he was going to become involved in the Freedom Fighters' struggle, if only temporarily. As a result, getting his thoughts together and fully waking up took longer than usual; part of him still wanted to believe he was dreaming. But more importantly…how could they get home? The temple seemed the obvious answer, but as Ed learned throughout life the correct answers to a problem are never the simplest or the most obvious. He then turned to his side to see Al, reading a book. "Morning Al."

"Morning brother. Sleep well?" the suit of armor asked, cheery as usual.

"Given the circumstances, yeah, I did." Ed then reached for his clothes and dressed. "I'm going to see if anyone else is up, maybe get some food. Since we seem to be free for today, wanna spar a bit?" he asked as he pulled his shirt over his body.

"Of course brother. We're going to need that practice, after all."

Ed commented. "You sound pretty eager to be working with them."

Al replied "Hey, they're more than happy to help us get back. While I don't intend to stay here, I want to at least repay them for their hospitality…given the circumstances."

Ed sighed. "I know, I know…I'm just…I'm just worried, that's all." Al didn't even need to ask, because he shared his concern as well: What if they were never able to get back? _"Best not to think about it for now."_ Ed thought. "I'll see you later, ok Al? If you need me, I shouldn't be too hard to spot in a place like this" With that, he exited the hut and took a walk outside.

* * *

Ed walked outside, checking out the rest of Knothole. The villagers were up as well, staring at him, but this time it was different now. Before, they regarded him and his brother with suspicion. Ever since they started using Alchemy to fix things, the villagers put any fear they had aside. Combined with the Princess's word, they accepted them as guests; some even smiled and waved. Edward was brought out of his musings when something caught his senses. He smelled it before, if only briefly. "Waitaminute..." Edward followed his nose, and recognized it as he got closer. "Are those...Chili Wieners?" Ed finally came to the door of one hut, and Ed knocked on it rapidly.

Just then the blue blur himself answered the door. Edward nearly went into the defensive upon seeing Sonic, as they did not start on the best of terms. "Oh...it's you." Sonic actually sounded welcoming and surprised this time around. While the hedgehog may not have been great at socializing with strangers, hearing Ed's story made him realize how wrong he was, although he would never admit it. While he probably wouldn't apologize, he figured it _"Could have been worse; it could have been Knuckles or St. John at my door." _

Ed scratched his head, wondering how he could possibly explain himself. On one hand, he didn't want to interact with this hedgehog. On the other, he was starving and he needed meat, badly! "Sorry. I was just looking for something to eat, and I smelled..."

"Ah, welcome to the club!" Sonic exclaimed. "I was mostly cookn' for just myself, but Sal gets on my case for eating too much. I guess I could share; would a dozen be okay for you?"

His 180 degree turn from two days ago threw Ed off, but he just smiled and replied "Sure! That'd be great!"

* * *

Ed and Sonic began chomping away on the chili dogs, both pigging themselves out. There wasn't much social interaction, but the two got along better than they had when the two alchemists first came to Knothole. That was when Ed spoke. "Sonic, can I ask you something?" he asked out of the blue.

"Fire away." Sonic stated.

"I noticed all kinds of creatures here that exist in my world, only more primitive. Are there any humans, or overlanders, as you call them, left in this world? Other than that Robotnik guy of course."

Sonic nearly choked on his Chili Dog, not expecting such a serious answer. "Uh, I think's it's best you ask Sal. History and Science has never been my strong suit."

"I'd imagine she's busy right now, and besides, I'd rather hear it from someone who's not in royalty or any other government. Diplomatics can bend the truth a little."

Sonic's first instinct was to convince him to consult Sally, but he had to agree that now was not the time to disturb her. He figured if Ed did not like the answer he received, he could ask others. "More or less, although I admit the only Overlanders I've ever known are Snotley and Buttnik themselves. I was only a baby during the Great War, the last time my kind had a major war with overlanders." Sonic took a bite of another dog and continued. "We were in conflict with the Overlanders as far back as our recorded history goes, or so Sal says. When old 'Butnik' came along, we were in the middle of a really bad war, and we were takin' heavy losses. Then, Buttnik, back then calling himself Julian, was on the run from the overlanders. My unc and dad found him, and decided to have the King get some info out of him. However, because of his smarts in science and being an overlander himself, the King appointed him warlord, believing him to be a true ally. Well...look how that turned out."

Ed couldn't imagine what would have caused a King to trust someone that much. Either he was very gullible, or...he was desperate. _"He sought a way to win the war, and then he got his Kingdom taken away from him. Equivalent exchange indeed." _Ed thought.

"I've heard reports of a few overlanders sighted, but it seems they went extinct for some unknown reason, as their city was abandoned." Sonic finished, explaining his limited knowledge of overlander history.

Edward looked out the window in deep thought. "It seems my kind has caused yours a lot of trouble, haven' t they?" _"Just like some of us tend to do in my world." _Ed thought.

For once, Sonic looked to be in deep thought for a minute. "Look...I'll be honest, we didn't trust you and your brother because of what you were at first. But we've had our own bad apples as well." Sonic smiled and asked "I mean, no one race is entirely one or the other after all, right?"

Ed sighed. "Oh boy, remind me to tell you about this guy named Scar...that's a guy with black and white vision if I ever saw one…"

* * *

Sally woke up, still feeling tired and groggy. She nearly pulled another all-nighter again, refusing to hit the hay until 4:30 in the morning; she imagined it was past ten now. Her friends have been getting on her case about her sleepless nights, and she adopted better sleeping patterns when it seemed time allowed it. But the Homunculi threw things off completely, and she felt she had no choice. "Ugh..." She powered up Nichole and went to her mirror to fix her bed hair. "Nichole, upload all files on Robotropolis and Robotnik. Also, see if you can find anything about Alchemy and Homunculi in our word."

_**"Processing, Sally." **_The computer replied.

"It's always one big mess after another." she sighed. She then turned to her desk to look at something. She vowed never to look at it again, not until they got him back, but her love for him wouldn't let her. Hesitantly, she picked up the frame, and looked. She nostalgically thought back to the times she had shared with her father, how he was one of the most caring and attentive people she ever knew. Then she thought back when she and the others went to the Zone of Silence, where he was exiled, only to find him in an amnesic and hostile state. "Daddy...what happened to you?" She cradled the picture, and struggled to not let the one tear drop; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to stop...

* * *

Al decided to follow his brother's lead and take a walk around the village, admiring the beauty of the Great Forest surrounding him. He hated to think the people here were under the threat of a madman bent on world domination, but the truth was the truth. A part of him wanted to stay and help, but the fact was that he and his brother were aliens that didn't belong in this world. Besides, once he and his brother got to the other side with the homunculi, they will be a lot better off. Still, he wished he could do something that would help the Mobians for a lifetime. Then, he heard something. It sounded like...crying. His base instincts told him to mind his own business, but his compassionate nature got the better of him. He looked into a hut, hoping he wasn't peaking in on anything. To his surprise, he saw the Princess. But instead of the calm and collected one he had gotten to know from the previous days, he saw her curled up on the floor, crying. "Uh...princess?" Al was about to wish he kept his mouth shut, as Sally looked up in surprise, causing Alphonse to attempt to hide beyond the window's borders in vain. "Ahh..."

"Alphonse?" Sally asked, her voice still strained from crying. "Is that you?"

"Forgive me your highness! I'll leave immediately!" the young boy shouted.

"It's okay!" Sally quickly tried to regain her composure. "Is there anything you need, Alphonse?" she asked, hoping it was something important.

There was a long silence between the two, before Alphonse turned around and helped himself into the hut, careful not to scrape the roof. "I'm sorry your highness...but I saw everything."

Sally looked away. It would have been one thing if Sonic, Geoffrey, even Antoine had seen her like this; they were people whom she trusted and wouldn't have made a big deal about seeing her in a moment of weakness. But to a stranger...she put those feelings aside and remained as polite as she could. "Sometimes, old memories have a way of getting to you." she replied, unsure of herself and not completely trustworthy of Alphonse in regards to personal matters.

Alphonse just looked at her, and then saw the frame. Though its picture was hidden from view, against Sally's chest, Alphonse knew what it was; after all, why else would she be crying? "That's your father in the picture, isn't it?" Sally looked at him, stunned at his intellect. She simply looked away and nodded slightly. Alphonse knew he shouldn't push it, but he couldn't help himself. He felt she needed someone. "Is it alright, if I have a look?" he asked as politely as he could. Sally hesitated, but eventually handed him the frame. Alphonse kneeled in order to avoid looking at it hunched over. He immediately identified the young mobian as Sally. He then saw King Acorn, noticing the slight species difference as he seemed to be a squirrel. Compared to the other mobians he had seen, he seemed quite tall, and wore a very regal looking outfit. He could only imagine how tiny Sally must have been back then. What really got to him, though, was the way they looked at each other; the love between them could not be denied. It reminded him of how his mother would look at him and his brother. "You must miss him very much." Sally nodded. Handing her back the picture, he said "I'm sure he's thinking of you all the time, wherever he is."

"No, he's not" Sally replied, remembering what happened when they found him in the Zone of Silence.

Alphonse would have given a stunned look if his armor body allowed it. "But how could he not be? I mean, look at the way he's looking at you in the picture..."

"My friends and I recently went on a mission into the zone where he was banished." Sally began explaining. "We only expected to find clues, but we found him. However..." Sally paused. "He didn't recognize any of us, and attacked us. I don't know if he suffered an accident, or if it was a side-effect of being trapped in the zone for so long. But..."

Alphonse placed his large hands on her shoulders. "Don't give up! You know he's alive, and now you know that one day you can bring him back! Just be strong! Some part of him has to remember...at least I hope, for your sake. If it were my mother, I would keep coming back until I dragged her out of there and would do everything I could to restore her memories. Ed more so than I." Al paused to look at his hand. "At least you have a clue on how to get your father back. Even at the best of times, Ed and I have only found hints and no promises on how to get our bodies back. But my brother and I have come too far to quit now; if we did, we may as well stop living."

Sally let his words sink in, and looked at the picture again. "You know what it's like too, don't you? To lose a parent...I couldn't imagine what it would be like, to attempt to revive the dead..." She needn't say any further; if something similar was done to her as Alphonse, she couldn't see herself living like that; she might even resent such a person for not letting her stay dead if something like that were to happen to her.

Now Al seemed to be reminiscing painful memories, and turned away. The two sat on the floor back to back, saying nothing for the longest time. Finally, Al spoke. "Mother was our entire world. It devastated us when she died. And after when we tried human transmutation, we always wondered if we DID bring mom back, but in a misshapen form. If that was true, I don't think I could forgive myself. We still don't have the answer..." Alphonse looked at his metal hand, remembering Ed's sacrifice just to keep them together. No matter how hellish living in the suit of armor was, Edward brought him back, and together they would set everything right. "I never knew my dad, you know?" he said, out of the blue. "He left the family when I was a toddler. Ed remembers him though; it must have hurt to see him leave. Every time I tried to bring dad up, Ed would snap at me and refuse to even talk about him. I imagine that I should be angry too. But...I can't. I honestly want to meet him again. Although, I can only imagine how he would react if he saw me in this hunk of armor." Alphonse then looked at Sally, as if hoping for some kind of response.

Sally traced the photograph and replied "I never knew my mother; she died when I was an infant. Back then, I just accepted it; I was too young to even think of questioning about her. But now, I feel like even if father returns, there will still be a piece of my life missing."

"You'll find out." Alphonse, said, looking out the window. "I've got a good feeling about that, once you get the king back." Changing the subject, Al turned back to her. "You're really strong, you know? To have your home and way of life turned upside down at so young an age, yet you've kept your people together, and have given them hope for better times."

Sally looked down, giving a slight, yet sad, smile. "Yeah, that's what they all say. But I worry constantly that I'm going to screw up, and in terms of overthrowing Robotnik, we haven't made much progress. Plus, I don't know if it's just me or being forced into hiding since I was little but..." Alphonse silently beckoned for her to go on. "...I just wish everyone in the village would see me as their equal. My friends do, even Antoine although to a smaller degree. But I have to be the perfect princess for everyone; show bravery, compassion, and be level-headed at all times. Everyone has their moments of weakness, but I can never show it like any normal person would. It's something I have to keep up for the good of everyone. But it's just so much…" Sally looked at Alphonse, and could have sworn she saw empathy in the hollow sockets that could be eyes.

"Stay strong." He said, reassuring her yet again. "Equivalent exchange is not just about transmuting material and trading; it's also the way life works. Your efforts will yield something one day, I promise."

Sally seemed to give his words some thought, and looked at the picture of her father again. The look in her eyes changed, they began to look more determined and sure of herself. She got up from the floor, wiping a tear from her eye and returned the photo on her nightstand, this time the picture was placed properly for everyone to see. She turned around and walked towards Al, who could see that this time, she was actually smiling. "Thank you, Alphonse..."

"Please, call me Al. There's no need to be formal with me, your highness..."

"Call me Sally. There's no need to be formal with me, either." She then offered her hand. "After all...we're friends, right?"

Alphonse seemed surprise, and although no muscles or orifice would allow it externally, Sally could see by the light in his helmet's eye sockets that he was smiling inside. Finally, he took her hand in hers and shook it gently as he could. "Yeah. Friends."

"Thank you, Al. I needed that..."

"No problem. I promise to keep this a secret."

"Al!" Edward's voice called out. "Where are ya!"

Al hastily stood up, and called out the window "Coming brother! I'll be with you in a minute!" Careful not to scrape Sally's roof, Alphonse helped himself out the door. "I'll be see you later, Sally! If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask!" With that, he took off.

Sally smiled and waved as he took off. Feeling like a great weight was lifted off her chest, at least for now, she plopped back down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. "He's such a sweet kid. And strong; most no one I know of could live like that...I don't think even I could…"

**"All files uploaded, Sally, with updated information."** Nichole chimed in.

"Excellent, Nichole!" Sally picked up her computer and took a look...

* * *

Sonic witnessed Ed and Al spar, watching as the two made exchanged practiced and acrobatic martial arts moves. Sonic could see firsthand why he had such a hard time with Ed. He wondered how one of them would fare against the likes of Knuckles though; that red dummy packed one hell of a punch. Still, Sonic was genuinely impressed. They didn't use any of their magic tricks ( he still could not see how alchemy could be science) and their martial skills were very much on par with what most freedom fighters trained in, if not better, and Ed seemed to be just as agile as Sally. But it seemed that it wasn't enough to beat Al. Ed launched at him with an aerial sidekick, only for Al to grab it and throw his brother to the ground. "Magicians and fighters." Sonic commented. "Go figure."

"It' not magic for the 100th time, it's Alchemy." Ed commented. "And to train the mind, you gotta train the body." He stated as he brushed himself off.

"Now that's something I could hear more of every day." Sonic commented, although he had to admit Sally lived up to that motto without ever hearing of it. Ed parried another strike from Al and did a handstand kick, only to have both legs blocked. "So, how often doya beat your brother?" Sonic asked.

"Haven't beaten him once; I still try though." Ed managed to get an elbow in, but predictably Al counterattacked with a knee, sending his elder brother into the air. Ed blocked it and received no damage, but it was clear he was still nowhere near beating Al.

Sonic, feeling bored from having no missions and no good reason to leave the village, had an idea. "Yo! Mind if I have a try? I promise not to get too crazy."

Ed thought about it for a minute, and looked to Al. He nodded, indicating he didn't have a problem with it. "Watch out, Al. That hedgehog's crazy fast." Ed turned to Sonic and smiled. "Go for it!"

Sonic revved up immediately and shot out of Al's line of sight. However, the suit of armor could hear him approaching, and ducked when Sonic tried to ambush him with a kick from behind. "Wow, he is good!" Sonic ran circles around him, forming a dust cloud. Of course, Al, not having real eyes and no respiratory system, wasn't fazed. He quickly raised an arm in an outward block when Sonic came at him with a punch. However, due to his speed, the strength of the punch was magnified, forcing Alphonse back. Sonic then noticed Alphonse was behind a tree trunk, inclined on a slope, and giving him an idea. Quick as usual, he leaped into a Sonic Spin behind Al. He rolled down the tree trunk, coming behind Al and tripping him up, the suit of armor falling down hard in surprise. "Yes! And now...!" Sonic took to the air, planning to pin Al down with a kick. However, Al reacted in time, and performed a spinning kick on his back, swatting Sonic away. The Hedgehog was taken by complete surprise, and was sent tumbling across the ground. "Man, he IS good!"

"Told ya." Ed commented, sitting on a rock and observing the match. "It's not just cause of his metal body; in terms of martial arts, he's always been better than me. Then again, considering he doesn't have the same physiology we do, I'm sure that may have something to do with it."

Sonic's legs started spinning again. "Well, what say we have another go at it?" he called, undeterred by the challenge Al presented.

* * *

Sally looked over the data Nichole had uploaded. "This is not good." Robotnik had apparently been doing some massive remodeling ever since his city was nuked twice. Sally was surprised that Robotnik himself didn't die of radiation poisoning, despite his fondness of pollution. If they were going to invade Robotropolis, it would have to be done with the utmost caution. What she found on alchemy and homunculi wasn't too promising either; in alchemy, all that was mentioned were the earliest attempts at chemistry, even the clichéd stories of turning lead into gold. Nichole couldn't come up with anything on Homunculi, meaning if the Freedom Fighters ran into the three that followed Ed through the portal, they were going to have a challenge on their hands. "Damn it." She ran her fingers through her hair, thinking of what else she could come up with. "I may have to ask Rotor to develop some restraining tools, since they can't be destroyed." Sally then heard shouting in the distance. "It's no fair you're made of steel when we're flesh and blood!" That was Sonic! "Oh great, is he fighting a…" She canceled that thought; Sonic was notorious for picking fights, but she sincerely doubted that he would be picking on the Elrics after hearing their story the other night. And from the sound of things, it sounded like he was fighting Al. Now that certainly didn't make sense; Sonic was a lot of things, but not a bully. Sally, figuring her work was done for now, went outside to have a look.

* * *

"Whoa!" Al flipped Sonic's wrist as he tried to land a punch, sending him into a tailspin and then a half-assed Sonic Spin on the ground. "Oof! Jeez, Sal's the only one I know who's got skills like this!"

"I wouldn't know about that." Ed answered. "She's tough, I can tell from personal experience." Granted, he was wounded, but he could tell that she could knock down a fully grown man if she hit him in the right place. "But to beat Al? I don't know..."

"Well, why don't we find out?" The turned towards the forest, seeing Princess Sally walking towards them. "Sparring?" she asked smiling.

Al nodded his helmet. "Teacher would always force us to spar with her while she recited to us the teachings of Alchemy. She'd read aloud from the book while blocking all our attacks, never taking her eyes off it; we never landed a blow on her from the time she took us in to the day our training ended."

Sally just and commented "Wow. You two must have fond memories of that time." Ed's face turned white, causing him to collapse on his knees, as did Al. _"Okay...maybe not." _Sally thought, stunned at their apparent trauma.

"So, you wanna give it a try, Princess?" Edward asked, wanting to see for himself what she was made of.

"Call me Sally, Edward." Sally replied cheerfully. "Your brother and I already done away with formalities."

That gave Ed some surprise. While she had been more level-headed and polite than most of the higher-ups in his world, he still expected her to be somewhat haughty and demanding to be followed. Her desire to be genuine friends surprised him greatly. Finally, he grinned back and replied "Okay, but only if you just call me Ed." The two then turned their attention to Al. "Show us what you got!"

Alphonse got into a fighting stance, as Sally did the same. Alphonse attacked first, striking with a right fist. Sally cartwheeled away and launched herself off the ground with a spinning kick. Al blocked it (although considering the size difference that may have been unnecessary), and as soon as Sally landed, tried to catch her with a round kick. Sally simply ducked under. Al turned to face her again and came at her with a front kick. Sally, however, jumped on top of his leg and launched herself towards his helmet. "What the-!"

Sally took the helmet and leaped off of Al's body. She touched down, and held the helmet so they were meeting each other's eyes, said "Sorry; looks like I win."

"Not yet you haven't!" Al responded.

Sally looked behind her, and saw the rest of Al's body moving on its own, about to grab her in a bear hug. Sally back flipped as his hands came together. "Why didn't you tell me he could do that!" Sally shouted at Ed.

"You didn't ask!" Ed replied in a teasing tone.

"Very clever ..." Sally responded as the body continued attacking her. Then, she had an idea. "Well, let's see how you handle this!" She began spinning Al's head around wildly.

"Wait! Stop that!" Though Al did not feel dizzy, the spinning made him lose his coordination and the boy couldn't get his bearings straight.

Soon, Al's body began moving erratically, struggling for balance. Finally, it toppled over in a heap. Sally finally brought the spinning to a stop and looked at Al's helmet with a triumphant smirk "Sorry, Al; looks like I win."

"No fair." the young boy pouted. Sally quickly put the head back on, allowing Al full control of his body again.

Ed just looked stunned, while Sonic simply looked please. "Of course, always leave it to Sal's brain to figure things out."

"Uh...good job!" Ed said, still refusing to believe what he just saw. "Of course I thought about doing that, but...uh...it wouldn't be fair to Al, since ideally you couldn't do that to a normal person! At least, not without killing them!" Ed put up a hearty laugh, trying to sound unimpressed.

"Yeah, sure you did." Sally commented, rolling her eyes.

* * *

Robotnik typed away on his master computer, while Lust observed. "I have found information on the Temple Gateway. In terms of getting us to your world, I've got good news and bad news."

"Which do I want to hear first?" Lust questioned.

"The bad news is that our side of the gate needs a different mechanism as means of transportation; spilling blood will do nothing."

"And the good news is that you've found the proper method?" Hearing the bad news first meant there was a solution, Lust heard.

"Correct. A Chaos Emerald. In my world, it is the ultimate source of power. It should activate the mechanism necessary, according to the scriptures. It seems both temples are prepared in such a way that only something from their resident planet can activate them."

"The emeralds are pretty rare, though, aren't they?" Lust questioned. "Where would we look?"

"There are zones appearing all over the place from time to time. However, they're quite dangerous; nothing I haven't gone through before, but that's a method I generally try to avoid on my own." He lost count of the times Sonic would ruin his machines when he went himself. "The best place…is here." A live satellite feed of an island in the sky was on the screen.

"Impossible!" Lust exclaimed, shocked beyond belief yet again.

"When it comes to the Chaos Emerald, nothing is impossible." Robotnik replied. "The emerald is what holds up the island. I've attempted many times to get my hands on it."

"And what makes you think you'll succeed this time?" Lust questioned. An ally with repeated failures was generally not too promising.

Robotnik turned to her, smiling. "Why, I'm looking at the solution right now." He turned his attention back to the screen. "All you have to do is take out the guardian." An image of a red creature with large fists was highlighted. "Knuckles the Echidna. He's charged with protecting the emerald. He is a powerful opponent, but also very naive. He may put up a fight, but with your abilities I'm sure you'll overwhelm him. Also…" Robotnik pulled up another file that Lust couldn't quite make out. "I've detected something emitting chaos energy off the charts. It's currently in orbit, but if for any reason we can't get our hands on an actual emerald, it may be our final option."

"And just how do you plan on controlling it?" Lust questioned.

"If it's a living thing, I can think of a thing or two."

Just then, Snively walked in. "Sir, our swatbots have apprehended 3 spies, MPs of the Royal Guard it seems. I believe they are St. John's men. They are being sent to the Roboticizer as we speak…"

"Cancel that order. Bring them here, immediately." Robotnik just remembered he had a promise to keep, if only for the sake of his new alliance.

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir."

"Oh, and have any of my Sub-Bosses responded?"

"Both Crocbot and Desert Whorl have responded, and are on their way." Snively responded. "However, I don't think it's necessary to have both to guard the city."

"Of course not. Desert Whorl will guard Robotropolis; I will keep Crocbot close by; he's been acting awfully suspicious lately…" Suddenly, the door swooshed open.

The Swatbots carried what seemed to be three beavers with them. _**"As you commanded, master."**_ The head swatbot stated.

"Excellent." Robotnik strolled towards the prisoners, having a look. "Well, Snively was correct. It seems that skunk indeed sent some of his to take me out. We'll have to do something about that, won't we?"

"You won't win Robotnik! Whether it's in a few seconds or another decade, you WILL fall!" one of the MPs yelled.

"I've heard it all before; I suppose robotization doesn't scare you anymore?" The MPs remained silent. "I'll take that as a no. Well, that's quite alright. You see, my guests have certain needs…and I was hoping you could fulfill them." He then screamed "Gluttony!" The childish Homunculi walked out of the shadows, sucking his finger. "I've brought you dinner." He began to chuckle evilly, while Gluttony gave the poor Mobians a ravenous look. All that could be heard from outside the tower were the screams of anguish and pain.

* * *

Sally was hard at work on Nichole again later that night. "Has Uncle Chuck been able to obtain any additional information? Preferably the Homunculi?"

"_**Negative, Sally. It seems Julian wants to keep a tight-lid on his new friends." **_

"Figures." Sally sighed. With her first priority out the way, she then turned to another pressing matter. "Have you found any records on the Temple of Chaos, and how we can activate the portal?"

"_**Positive."**_ Nichole brought up the records, and Sally read through them. Her eyes widened when she finished. "Oh no…" It looked like Sally was going to have to give Knuckles a call soon. Just then, she heard a knock on her door. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Ed. Can I talk with you for a minute, Sally?" the Alchemist asked.

"Sure. Come in." the Princess replied.

Ed opened the door and helped himself inside. He looked…nervous. "I needed to ask you something…but I'm afraid you're not going to like it."

Sally just looked into him for a good second, and immediately knew the answer. "You want to know about the Roboticizer, don't you? In order to return your brother back to normal." Ed's stunned look only confirmed her suspicions; her perception would never cease to amaze him, as he would later find out. Sally simply said "Our spy would be able to tell you better than I how it works. We have a portable one, but it's not as efficient, and it is built differently than the original in Robotropolis. However, all I can tell you is this: the roboticizer can only reverse its effects on those that it roboticized previously; it would have the data necessary to turn its subjects back into flesh and blood. Otherwise, subjects would undergo a drastic cellular change; they may not even survive."

Ed seemed to have followed so far. "I understand that simply reversing it won't turn Al back to normal. But to change a carbon-based life-form into metal…that violates the law of equivalent exchange. To do so, it would have to alter one's very atoms…and that takes an enormous amount of energy. It has to have some sort of power source to enable it to do so. If I can find it…I may get a step closer to restoring Al and I."

Sally responded "I'd like to help you, especially for Al's sake. But it's risky; the data would be right in his war room…"

"…then we're just going to have to find a way to either keep him out or distracted." Ed responded. "I think if I'm there, that should be easy."

"That would be doable, but the homunculi are with him now. That will throw our usual tactics off, and besides, they know you; they'll help Robotnik anticipate your every move."

Ed couldn't refute her reasoning, but he couldn't let this go. "Sally, please." Ed pleaded. "I know we're asking so much of you already. But I've spent 3 years trying to get us back to normal. If it was just me, I would've let this slide a long time ago. But Al… if he has to spend an eternity in that suit of armor…then he would have been better off if I had just left him there."

Sally seemed to think about it for a minute. Then, she packed Nichole. "Just one more day. We'll move, and we'll help you get the necessary data."

Ed smiled. "Thank you, Sally. I appreciate it." He held out his hand, which Sally then shook.

"So, the rumors were true, you do have an overlander here." a voice said.

Edward and Sally turned around to the hut's entrance. "Geoffrey!"

This time it was a skunk with what seemed to be a crossbow stood in the doorway. Edward smelled something fairly pungent, but nothing repulsive. "Hello, luv." He said, walking to Sally and giving her a kiss on the lips.

"_They can be so human at times it's scary."_ Edward thought.

"I thought you were down South at the base?" Sally asked the skunk.

Geoffrey tilted his head slightly, clearly ill at ease by the question. "Was. But somethn' came up. A few of my men infiltrated Robotropolis to ruin some factories…but they never came back."

"Roboticized?" Sally questioned

"We never saw any new robots come out." St. John responded. "And on top of that, those who got away reported they heard screaming. I have reason to believe they've been killed."

Sally clasped her hands over her mouth in horror. "I'm so sorry…"

"I was the one who ordered them to go, the blame solely rests with me." he said, reassuring Sally while putting on a brave face. "While Ivo is certainly capable of execution, that is normally not his style." He noted. "Something's changed."

"If that's the case, I may have a hypothesis or two." Ed chimed in.

The skunk then gave him a suspicious, if not contempt, look. "I almost forgot about you, mate. What business does your kind here have in Knothole!" he asked accusingly.

"Geoffrey!" Sally hissed, taken aback by his uncalled for behavior.

Ed had to restrain himself; while he anticipated that he would eventually find a xenophobic mobian as long as he stayed here, this guy... "My name is Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. And it's a long story. However, I can think of 3 ways in which your men may have been killed, and one comes to the top of my list."

Despite Ed being a full head and a half taller than St. John, the skunk pinned him against the wall in fury. "Listen, scum! I don't take too kindly to jokes…"

Just as Sally tried to pull him off Ed, the alchemist grabbed St John's arm with his right and threw him off. "It's no joke!"

St. John winced as he massaged his arm, taken off guard by his vice grip. "It seems you need to be taught a lesson…"

Just as he cocked his crossbow, Sonic ran inside, and pulled his wrist aside. "I knew it would be a matter of time before you'd show your ugly mug here, Le Pew."

Geoffrey pulled his hand back, further irritated by the hedgehog. "Well, perhaps you'd like to explain why you're letting a stranger, and an Overlander of all things, in your fair village!"

"_Xenophobe indeed."_ Edward thought. He was tempted to give a creature a piece of his mind, but there was already trouble as it was.

"Ed, why don't you join your brother?" Sally asked the alchemist. "I'll take care of this."

"Sure thing. Thanks again, Sally." Ed said as he waved goodbye, thankful to be excused from a messy situation.

Geoffrey, unaware of Sally's interaction with the two brothers, tried to reprimand him. "That's Princess Sally to you, you-"

"Enough!" Sally yelled. Ed took this time to exit the hut. "What has gotten into you?" she asked St. John.

"I'd say nothn' Sal, he's just shown' his true colors." Sonic growled.

"Sonic, I don't need you aggravating things any further!" Sally shouted. At least Ed was wise enough to leave; Sonic just stayed, itching for a fight with St. John. "Let's just give you the abridged version of his story, St. John."

* * *

"No way!" Alphonse exclaimed as Tails showed him the hangar. "Flying machines? It shouldn't be possible…"

"Oh, it's the real deal!" Tails exclaimed as he showed off the Tornado and Antoine's mass carrier. "I didn't make these of course; Rotor designed them from scraps we got from raiding Robotropolis, and Antoine taught me how to fly."

After sparring with Sally, Al took the rest of the day to get to know Tails. He and Ed were brothers and would always be best friends…but it seemed they were drifting further apart as Ed aged. Al never went through any of the hormonal changes from maturing or grew tired of his favorite child past-times like Ed did. It didn't affect their relationship much, as they were both too concerned with the philosopher's stone to dwell on their childhood. But when they had some time to do so…they realized in those moments how far they had grown apart. Spending time with Tails…it felt like making a friend with a human his own age, something circumstances did not allow back at home. "I gotta take a look inside!" Al exclaimed as he ran his hand across the plane's surface. "Figure out how it works…"

"Just make sure you get clearance from Aunt Sally; we may need these planes at any moment…Hey, want to see my Duel Animal cards?" Tails asked out of the blue.

"What's that?"

"It's a card game, I'll show you!"

"Having fun, Al?" a familiar voice said.

Alphonse turned around and saw Ed walk towards him. "Brother! You need to check out these machines! They can actually fly in the air, like a bird!"

Ed took a look at the vehicles, seemingly interested but his mind was elsewhere. "I'm sure we'll see them in action soon enough." He turned back to Alphonse and addressed him. "Listen, Al. I don't want to get your hopes up for anything, especially considering how little we know about this place. But…" Ed seemed to struggle to form the words. He wasn't so sure of it himself, but he had to tell him. "…I may have found a clue to get your body back." Al's eyes would have widened if they could.

* * *

"Sending them back home is one thing princess…" St. John commented, after hearing the rough outline of what the freedom fighters' schedule would be like and the Elrics' history. "But you're going too far out of your way to help them."

"Geoffrey, if we give them the Roboticizer's plans, they'll take it home with them; even if it turns out to be useless to Ed, if nothing else, we'll put a dent in Robotnik's schemes…"

"And how do you know they'll keep their word on destroying the other temple?" St. John asked skeptically. "For all we know, those overlanders could reverse engineer roboticizers of their own and bring troops to our world."

"Well, Le Pew, they're no older than us." Sonic exclaimed, emphasizing him and Sally. "I very much doubt they have the world experience of 'Look at this evil scheme I've concocted! MWAHAHA!'."

"Ivo and his nephew were once children too, Hedgehog." Geoffrey noted, still not convinced.

"You really believe that someone whose own brother is a suit of armor would scheme for world domination when he's desperately trying to find a way to turn him back to normal?" Sonic asked in disbelief. "If something like that happened to one of my friends, I'd never stop running until I found a way to change them back."

"Do you really believe he wants to change them back? For all I know, that's no soul inside that hunk of armor; to me it sounds no different than AI programming, only with magic."

"YOU'RE WRONG!" Sally shouted, surprising both Sonic and St. John. "Al is a real boy! I may not understand alchemy, but I'm going to help Ed anyway I can to get him back to normal!"

Both were stunned silent. St John bowed "My apologies, your highness. I was only concerned for your safety as well as the villagers." Sonic took some small pleasure in seeing St. John chewed out by Sally; usually he was the one to take the brunt of her lectures, although none of them were ever THAT bad; an added plus.

"Regardless of the Elrics' intentions…which ARE benign…we still need to deal with the homunculi. So either way, it still comes down to sending them back to the temple." Sally ordered.

Sonic then spoke up. "You have any idea how we're going to lure them to the temple. From what Ed told us, these aren't your average overlanders."

"That part we'll have to make up as we go along."

Both mobian males were taken by surprise, but Sonic in particular seemed enthusiastic about it. "I like it." he exclaimed.

"_Of course you would mate."_ St. John thought. _"You're making her think like you do."_

Sally added "Besides, we have another problem…Robotnik is planning to make a trip to the Floating Island."

This caught Sonic's attention. "The chaos emerald again? Fine, I'll go help that knucklehead out and take out Buttnik...I guess I owe him after what happened to me as Mecha-Sonic…" _"…after some payback of course."_ He thought.

"Not exactly, but close." Sally exclaimed. "Robotnik found a large source of chaos energy that originated on the island, and was sent into orbit."

"So, he plans to use that instead?" the hedgehog asked.

"Seems that way. But either way, Knuckles will be in danger."

Sonic sighed. "Okay. Robotropolis, Floating Island. Gottcha."

"And Sonic…NO FIGHTING. Knuckles is the reason you're still with us as an organic being."

"Yeah, yeah, I gottcha." Sonic then walked towards the door. "I'm going to talk to Ed about this." Sonic then dashed off, leaving St. John and Sally alone.

"So, we are to treat those…alchemists…as honored guests?"

"Yes. But with their foes around, they won't be around for too long. We're going to attack Robotropolis as soon as Dulcy comes back…and they're going to help us, like it or not." She especially emphasized that last part. Sally then closed Nichole and took a seat on her bed.

"Well, is there anything else you need, luv?" Geoffrey asked, being his flirtatious self again.

Only this time, it did nothing to liven Sally's spirits. "Just go get some rest, Geoffrey. You're coming with us."

St. John bowed. "Wouldn't have it any other way, luv."

"And Geoffrey?"

"Yes Princess?" Sally hastily stood up and marched towards the skunk. She looked…furious. "I expect you to be on your best behavior, and treat our guests with respect! Especially Alphonse!"

Geoffrey was stunned by her behavior towards him. Holding his hands up, he exclaimed "Princess, I apologize. I'm only looking after our people's best interests…"

"Then you're going to come with us tomorrow, and give them whatever help they need. Dismissed!" Geoffrey walked out, absolutely baffled what kind of characters those two brothers must be to make Sally behave like that.

* * *

Sonic ran through the village, looking for the Elrics. Had he been looking for one of his own kind, given their diverse appearances, this would have been done quick. With them, it was done even quicker. He found the two in Tails' hut, playing one of his favorite games.

Alphonse moved two cards on the floor. "Okay. I'll sacrifice my Wind Knight, and my Hedge Fairy..." Al seemed to stumble with his cards. "…to summon the Black Cat Magician!" He placed a new card on the floor. It was hard to tell with his body, but he seemed to be having a fun time.

Tails just smiled slyly. "And I'll use my Flute of Aurora to summon all three of my Gold-Eyes Burning Dragons, and with fusion, combine them to create the Gold-Eyes Inferno Dragon! That should wipe out your points!" He proudly exclaimed before he completed all he said he would do.

"This game is cool!" Al exclaimed, despite the loss. "Let's play again!"

Sonic was glad that the two were getting along so well; Al and Ed reminded him very much of Tails and himself; brothers. Speaking of whom, Ed was sitting next to Al, looking disinterested. "Yo, Ed! Havn' fun there?" he called.

Ed turned around and acknowledged him. "Sonic."

"Listen, I thought I'd give you the scoop about our plans tomorrow."

Ed walked out of the hut and joined Sonic as he explained. Of course, one part of the plan the alchemist was skeptical about. "Floating Island?" he asked incredulously.

Sonic replied "For once, you're not buying something even many of the locals have trouble swallowing. And this time, I don't blame ya." he chuckled. He didn't tell the Freedom Fighters when he first saw it, thinking they would believe him to have gone mad.

Ed ran a hand through his hair. "No, no. I believe you. After all I've seen, I'll just have to suspend belief. Besides, if I saw it without you telling me, I would have probably died of a heart attack." That, and Edward couldn't help but be curious as well.

Sonic chuckled a bit. "Also, I want to apologize for Le Pew's presence."

"Who's?"

"You know, St. John." Sonic muttered.

"Oh." Ed's teeth gritted once it was clarified. "That guy's a bastard."

Sonic only muttered "Yeah. I know."

"He's not as bad as Mustang though." Ed commented

"Who?"

"My boss."

Sonic let that sink in for a bit. "Someone with authority over you? I'm not sure I wanna know." Sonic then returned to the topic at hand. "Anyway, Sal told me about your plans to study the Roboticizer."

Ed looked up to the sky. "After the philosopher stone failure, it's the only lead I have. Even so, I may not like what I find. But a device that turns flesh into metal, and under the right circumstances vice versa…it's a chance we've got to take."

Sonic slapped him across the back, catching the Alchemist by surprise. "Don't sweat it; you don't have to explain anything. As far as I'm concerned, you mess with Buttnik's plans, you're good. Besides…you and I may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but now I can see for sure you're one of the good guys."

Ed replied sheepishly "Hey, we Alchemist have a saying, 'Be thou for the people'. We don't exactly go on quests to protect the innocent…but when people need our help, we will never turn our backs on them."

"Good to know." Sonic commented. "Still, it's a shame. You and your brother would make great freedom fighters. I'm just sorry that we have to send you off."

After a moment of silence, Ed told him "Al really likes it here. He doesn't want to leave without doing something that will have a lasting impact. And to be honest…I agree. As much as we need to return to Amestris, I've seen what you people had to go through. Can't help but feel we have to help put an end to it."

Sonic then seemed to be in deep thought himself. "After all you've been through, I feel I should do something to help you. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I hope the Roboticizer is the first step to restoring you two to normal. Especially for your brother; Sal seems to have taken a liking to him."

Ed had to smile at that. "He was always good at making friends; something he never lost despite not having a real body. He's so good at it, it goes beyond our own kind." Ed then looked to the stars. The Roboticizer was probably the best hope he had of restoring Alphonse ever since he discovered the philosopher stone's true nature. For once, he was tempted to pray to God, beg him to finally end their torment and restore them. "_But…" _he thought _"…_ _does God really exist in this world?"_

* * *

"THIS is what has been giving you the most trouble?" Envy asked incredulously as he stared at the screen. "That blue…hedgehog?"

Robotnik felt a vein pop in his forehead; if he was from this world, this homunculus would certainly know better... "As hard as it is for you to believe…yes." Robotnik played various recordings of Sonic running and foiling his schemes. "Sonic the Hedgehog. The thorn in my side that I can't seem to get rid of. It's his speed that gives him the edge in defeating my schemes."

Lust looked at the footage a little bit more objectively than her comrade. "Well, regardless, now that we see what we're up against here, I think we can handle him. And you should know that someone from our world came with us, and I'm sure he will be a problem for both of us if you don't take care of him: Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. I'm afraid I don't have…'footage' as you call it, to show you…but his alchemy will be a problem. He will reconstruct any material to his liking with a mere touch, and his metallic limbs will give him an edge in hand-to-hand combat. He also has a brother of him that's a suit of armor; they always work together."

Robotnik just pondered that new bit of information for a bit. "Well, if nothing else, I'm sure that will just make things more fun." He grinned. "So, Mr. Edward Elric, if you believe you and the hedgehog have what it takes to stop me…come out and play."

* * *

Next chapter, the Elrics are finally taken to Robotropolis.

Just so there's some clarification, since I just fear it will be taken that way, NO. There will be no SallyXAlphonse, or any HumanXAnimal pairing for that matter. After what Princess Elise did to Sonic 06 (the glitches were HER fault!), I don't want to curse my own fic with beastiality. All pairings will stay within their own series.


	5. Alchemy and Freedom

Hi everyone! I apologize profusely for the long wait between updates. But, that's life I guess. Still, I love writing fics, so in the near future I will be continuing this story as well as my two others.

Also, while I appreciate any review I get, a signed review is preferred, as I can respond directly. But, for the two reviews I did get, I'll reply right here and now.

Fukit: Yeah, I don't think we'll have Antoine doing that anytime soon. That sounds like a cruel mismatch, but seeing him cower with his French accent may be worth it.

Morph: Yeah, those were the days. I really wanted the characters from the different worlds to actually interact, and I think I did that pretty well. Tails will play a prominent role in the story, make no mistake. However, even with all he's seen, I don't think he can identify the Elrics just yet; he's still a bit too innocent. You'll be seeing some battles soon enough, and Enerjak will definitely be here, although it may not quite be the way you think. Look forward to hearing from you again!

Disclaimer: Don't own either of the respective series, so drop it already

* * *

Colonel Roy Mustang strode through the corridors of the Federal Building of Central, his military jacket in his arms. Passerbys would wave "Good Morning Colonel." Mustang would of course politely salute back. However, inside his soul was raging. The death of his best friend and most trusted subordinate, Maes Hughes, affected him deeply. There were no witnesses, and it seemed the higher ups knew something he didn't , something they wanted hidden. It looked like he would be forced to do his own investigation…but for now, that would have to wait. After all, no point in that if he skipped his paper work (much as he loathed it) and got himself fired.

He opened the door to his office, to find someone already there. "Good morning, sir." His assistant, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, a woman with blond hair and fierce hazel eyes, saluted.

Mustang saluted back and took a seat. "Any word on the investigation?" he asked, referring to the murder on his mind.

"No sir, I'm afraid not." Hawkeye answered. "The higher-ups are keeping a tight lid on it."

"Has Armstrong come around?"

"Hard to say, sir. He was chosen to accompany Brigadier General Archer down South."

Mustang sighed, and then something occurred to him. "Aren't the Elrics headed south?"

"Yes sir, I believe that is the case." she replied.

Mustang thought about what he was told so far. "Perhaps…" He was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. "Of all times…" He composed himself and picked up the receiver. "Colonel Mustang speaking."

"**Sir, there's a civilian on the line."** The operator said. **" A Miss Winry Rockbell." **

Mustang was silent for a second. He was connected to Winry, the childhood friend of the Elric brothers, in a way he hoped never happened. But he would have to deal with that later. If she was calling, chances were it was important. "Put her through." Roy waited patiently for the connection.

"**Hello, Colonel Mustang?"** a young girl asked on the other line.

Winry sounded rather distressed, he noted. "Miss Rockbell, what can I do for you?"

"**It's about Ed and Al! I can't find them anywhere!"** she exclaimed.

At first, the Colonel thought nothing of this. "Miss Rockbell, I'm sure the boys are fine. Ed is part of the military, and he's expected to-"

"**Colonel Mustang, they've been gone for 3 days now! I already asked the local police to look for them, but they haven't turned up! I-"**

"Okay, calm down!" That definitely was serious; while he doubted the kids were dead, any decent officer would always check on their men whenever something was amiss. Mustang immediately pulled out a pen and paper. "Please, start from the beginning, and tell me everything." Mustang listened to her story as he jotted down notes. It seemed the brothers had found something interesting, and intended to come right back. Obviously, something went very wrong. It would have helped if they told exactly what they were looking for, but unfortunately, they didn't tell Winry. At the end of the story, he said "Okay. Miss Rockbell, for now all you can do is wait and check in with the police regularly. The Elrics will probably turn up themselves; I have that much faith in them. I'm sure you know as well that they're some tough customers, right? Anyway, I'll be down there as soon as I can. You take care of yourself, you hear? I'll call you when I'm leaving. Okay, bye." Mustang hung up the phone and turned to his assistant. "Hawkeye, get me the next train to Winchester town."

"Will do, sir." She saluted. "Anything else?"

"I'm not sure if it will even be possible to get his assistance…but you may want to see if Armstrong is down there. He's quite close to the Elrics, I'm sure he would like to know." If anything could get Armstrong to disobey orders, endangered comrades was the best way to motivate him.

"Yes sir." Riza saluted him, and walked down to the train station.

"What have you gotten yourself into this time, Fullmetal?" Roy asked himself.

* * *

Knuckles walked out of his layer, stretching and enjoying the sun. As guardian of the Floating Island, he had a lot of responsibility. First and foremost of all of them was to protect the Chaos Emerald. After all, if anything happened to it, the entire island would fall. Of course, trouble always occurred elsewhere on the island, and some poor mobian would always be in trouble. It was a lot of work, but it was not without its high points. He was able to make his own schedule, and he pretty much could go anywhere on the island he wanted to. He just had to remain vigilant at all times. The other downside…it was quite lonely. His friends, the Chaotix helped out a lot…but it was not the same without his dad. "Well, enough of that." He thought. "I guess I'll check out the Chaos Chamber, then head over to the Ice Cap Mountains…" "

Then, he heard something from his layer; his radio! **"Sally to Knuckles, come in! Sally to Knuckles, come in!" **

Knuckles made a beeline back into his layer. The two went way back; Sally was one of Knuckles' first friends, back when King Acorn used to vacation on the island. Quickly, he put on his earphones and turned his speaker on. "Knuckles to Sally, I read you."

He wanted to chat, but he knew if anyone was calling the radio, it was serious. **"Knuckles!"** Sally exclaimed. **"Listen, Robotnik is planning to assault your island again!"**

Knuckles sighed. "So what else is new?" Not that he wasn't worried, but after so many attacks, one could get used to that sort of thing.

"**It seems he's after something other than your emerald! Something like a chaos emerald, but in orbit!" **

Knuckles at first was stumped, but then his eyes widened in horror. "No! He's not going after-" If he was, they had to act now. "Sally, you have to stop him from making his way to the island! If he frees Enerjak, he'll doom us all!"

"You mean that thing Robotnik is after…is a person?" Sally asked.

"No, a monster." Knuckles replied. "One of absolute power; there's nothing he can't do! I only got lucky when I met him; no doubt he'll be much more vigilant if he gets out of space!"

"**Okay Knuckles!" **Sally replied. **"We're headed to Robotropolis right now! But in case something goes wrong, be prepared! We'll be on our way! Over and out!"**

With that, Knuckles ran out to gather the Chaotix together. "Damn it! They better! Or else that hedgehog is going to hear from me!" He accelerated into a run and then glided into the air.

* * *

Sally immediately packed Nichole. She had no idea who this Enerjak was, but if Knuckles was scared of him, that was saying a lot. She had to be ready for anything…of course, it was even better to stop the problem before it happened in the first place. She, Sonic, the Freedom Fighters, and now the Elric brothers were going to have to stop Robotnik from taking off and somehow stop the Homunculi. It was going to be ridiculously difficult, but they've managed the impossible before.

As Sally walked out of her hut, a familiar voice said "Sleep well, luv?" Sally turned around to see Geoffrey leaning against a tree, giving his usual smug grin. At first, she just gave him a cold glare and walked off. Realizing the normal charm wouldn't work, Geoffrey rushed in front of her and kneeled. "Princess, please forgive me for my behavior last night! It was wrong of make assumptions of the two brothers based on their kind. I should have known if you trusted them, I should too! I was just…concerned." Quite frankly, he still didn't, but he acknowledged that the Princess always had her reasons for her actions.

Sally looked at him long and hard; he heard she did that a lot when she was angry. Finally, she sighed. "Rise, Geoffrey. I understand." She beckoned him.

Geoffrey did so, and kissed her hand. "Thank you, luv."

"But, remember my orders." Sally ordered, clearly forgiving but still stern.

"Of course." St. John replied.

Sally then kissed him on the cheek, both satisfied with getting things back to the way they were. "Come on. Everyone's waiting." She led the way to the hangar.

* * *

"Let's see…" Sonic searched around his messy room, looking for an essential tool he always took when things got especially tough. With his speed, he should've been able to find it, but then again, there was the incident where he lost his sneakers altogether. "I know I put them here somewhere…Ah Ha!" Sonic pulled out a Power Ring buried beneath his pile of dirty socks. He managed to get 4 of them, and while he was not planning on wasting them, he figured things could go sour at any time, and it was best to have as many on his person as possible. "All right, time to juice to the hangar!"

In a Sonic second, Sonic arrived at his destination. All the Freedom Fighters were there, except for Sally. The Elric brothers were there too, eager to get started. "Ready?" Sonic asked the two overlanders. "Or are you going to 'Antoine' out on us?" he said, giving them a cocky grin.

"I do not underztand." Antoine said. "Wat does et mean to…" It finally dawned on Antoine. "Oui! Why, I ave nevar…"

"Hey, shouldn't Sally be here?" Alphonse asked. "I mean, she's the leader of your group, isn't she?"

"I'm sure she'll be here soon enough…" Rotor said as he gave the plane's engine a final checkup.

Sonic added "Yeah. And I bet…" Finally, Sally walked into view. With St. John, to Sonic's displeasure. "…yup. Right on the money."

Sally gathered the Freedom Fighters around. "Before we begin…" She beckoned St. John towards Al. "Geoffrey, this is Alphonse Elric. He's the young one I told you about. Al, this is Geoffrey St. John, he is the leader of the rebel underground, and by heritage a member of my family's secret service."

Alphonse, oblivious to what transpired between him and his brother the night before, stuck his hand out. "Nice to meet you!" he exclaimed.

St. John hesitated at first, but realizing Sally was testing him, shook it. "Pleasure to meet ya, mate. I've heard of your…situation."

Sally gave him a satisfied smile. "Okay. Now, I need to give you all an update of what's been happening." She pulled out Nichole and booted the Hologram of the Floating Island. "Robotnik is planning a trip to Knuckles' home. Normally, we would be concerned about him stealing the Chaos Emerald…" The hologram seemed to move up into space, focusing on a specific point above the planet's orbit. "But it seems Robotnik is after something else up there. According to Knuckles, it is a being named Enerjak. And whatever he is, he has chaos energy off the charts. And Knuckles informed me if he is freed, that will be very, very bad."

"So, of course, we're going to stop Buttnik from taking off. Am I right, or am I right?" Sonic asked.

"Yup." Sally replied as she packed her computer away in her pocket. "Right on the money. Are you all ready?" The Freedom Fighters raised their fists in the air. "Ed, Al? Are you two sure you want to do this? I know you've faced a lot of danger in your world, but this will be something different entirely."

Ed just grinned. "Come on, I'm a State Alchemist! I've been doing these kinds of things since I was 12!"

Sally smiled. "Excellent!" Sally's widened, then she pounded her fist in her palm. "I almost forgot! Ed, there's just one more thing we need to take care of…"

"**Sally, Dulcy has been detected within the airspace."** Nichole called. **"She'll be landing shortly."**

She walked over to the Elrics and took their hands. "Ed, Al. We really do trust you, but we still have to do this. Quickly, now."

Ed then remembered Sally referring to a Dulcy earlier to determine if he and his brother were genuine or not. "Oh, no problem! Let's get it done and over with!" With that, Ed ran towards the airstrip in a confident stride; Tails didn't anticipate that the Elrics were unfamiliar with aircraft and the rules.

"Uh…Ed…" Sonic cautioned him. "…Dulcy's…" It was too late by then, and not even Sonic would dare chance getting crushed by their largest member. As Ed was about to find out the hard way.

Soon as he got on the airstrip, a large shadow loomed above him. And suddenly, a great weight was upon him, dragging him across the airway. "Oof! I'm sorry, my landings are off! More than usual today!"

Ed, miraculously not losing consciousness, squeezed his head and arms out. "What is it n…" Ed was stunned silent as he came face to face to the creature above him. The creature was clearly reptilian, with green skin and a long neck. But it had small wings on the back, and a black ring in its nose. He could tell it was female by its lips, but otherwise it did not share many of the anthropomorphized traits as the other mobians. Plus, her eyes conveyed intelligence he never saw in any known reptile. _"Is this a…dragon!"_ Ed scrambled the rest of his body from under her, and crawled away as fast he could, back into Al (who was also stunned).

"Sally, who are they?" Dulcy asked, curious about the newcomers.

"Ed!" Alphonse shouted with the wonderment of a boy his mental age. "A dragon! A real dragon!" he pointed excitedly towards Dulcy.

"Yeah, Al, I can see that quite clearly, thank you very much!" Ed yelled, still shocked yet again.

"What, don't you have dragons where you're from?" Sonic asked. "You've got all of our races, just in different forms and as different species."

"Yeah, we have dragons…IN COLORING BOOKS!" Ed shouted.

Sally stepped in before Ed burst things out of proportion again. "I apologize for this…misunderstanding. But I believe you have a procedure to undergo, remember?"

Ed then remembered that Dulcy was supposed to determine if they were genuine or not. But why a dragon? "I mean no disrespect, Sally…" Al said. "…but what exactly is she supposed to do?"

Dulcy answered "Dragons cannot tell lies, and therefore we can sense the purity of truth in all creatures."

Ed and Al just looked at her. "Okay…" Ed then composed himself, and held out his hand. "Hi. I'm Edward. Edward Elric. And this is my brother Alphonse." Alphonse waved hello.

Dulcy waved back. "Nice to meet ya. I guess Sally wants me to ask you a few questions."

Dulcy's interrogation was pretty mild, but being a living lie detector, there was no need to be harsh. She just asked where they were from, and what they intended to do, and that was it. Dulcy confirmed both were telling the truth. Most of the Freedom Fighters were satisfied, except for St. John. Sally was quite irritated by that, but as long as St. John would cooperate, she would leave him be.

"Well, Sal, I think that settles it, doncha think?" Sonic asked.

Sally smiled and said "Yes, I think it does." Sally stepped up to the Elric brothers. "Ed, Al…I haven't forgotten my promise to help you get the Roboticizer plans. But whatever Robotnik's plans are, they're big and cannot be ignored. So…" She gestured towards Sonic. "Sonic will take you to our spy; he knows the roboticizer better than anyone. After that, you will all join us on our primary mission."

Ed agreed to that. "We'll try to make it quick; hopefully we can help you put a major dent in that fat ass's schemes."

"Hey, if you manage to steal the Roboticizer plans, that will set Robotnik back for months." Sonic added. "So, Sal, anything else?"

Sally said "That's it." Then, something just occurred to her. If they were to encounter the homunculi, they would be in a heap of trouble. There was one member she wasn't willing to risk. "Actually, if you could, just in case something goes wrong…take Tails with you."

Tails began to protest "Aunt Sally, I-"

Sally kneeled and gripped his shoulder. "Tails, you've proven yourself several times over. I know, and we've all seen you grow. But no matter what happens, I don't want to see you get hurt." Sally gave him a hug. "You and Sonic work well together. You'll look out for one another, okay? If anything goes wrong, the both of you will save us."

"You should listen to her." Al insisted. "I can tell she's not just treating you like a kid. And I know from talking to you that you can handle yourself. The same could be said for me and Ed. But we'd rather have each other's backs than go at it alone."

There was a long silence between everyone, until Tails finally sighed. "You're right."

"Don't worry, buddy." Sonic reassured him. "I've a feeling we'll see plenty of action."

Tails high-fived him. "Way past cool, Sonic!"

"Plenty, or unnecessary?" Sally questioned him sternly. It drove her up the wall how Sonic was practically addicted to adventure and danger.

"Plenty and necessary." Sonic countered, smirking.

"You mean you make unnecessary danger become necessary." Sally grumbled back.

"Take it up with Buttnik; he could always ignore little ol' me, but he just flips out every time I'm there!"

"That's because you make yourself known and insult him in his face; not that I wasn't tempted to, but it's unwise." Sally shot back.

"Unless you're as fast and cool as me."

Their bickering went on for a good while, making everyone lose their patience. Bunnie decided to step in. "Sugar-hog, Princess. Ah know y'all are concerned for one another, but ah think its best we get a move on."

Sonic and Sally sighed. "Go see Uncle Chuck, regroup. No funny business. Got it?" Sally ordered.

"You got it, Sal. Hedgehog's honor." He crossed his fingers behind his back as he held up his hand; Sally didn't buy it from the start.

But they wasted too much time as it was. "Very well then. Freedom Fighters, let's move!

* * *

Envy busted down the metal door to the lab, furious. He marched towards Robotnik, losing his patience at being ignored. "Lust says you have a plan to get us back home." He hissed. "What I want to know is, WHY…AREN'T…YOU…DOING IT!"

Robotnik was scared for his life, knowing of the Homunculi's strength and temper. Still, he kept himself collected. If he showed fear now, he would lose whatever little leverage he had over these creatures, and they would dominate him. He could defend himself easily enough, but he would only be delaying the inevitable. "In a few hours, we'll be taking off shortly. However, I have a little errand to run. It is essential for you in order to return home, I assure you. But, I will acquire your assistance. I'll explain on the way there." Robotnik smiled. "Besides, you don't want to let all I have to offer go to waste, now would you?" He spread his arms, emphasizing all the mechanics that surrounded them.

"I don't give a shit about any of this. As far as I'm concerned, we should have nothing to do with you." Envy growled.

"Well, then it's a good thing for both of us you're not the leader of your group." Robotnik shot back. Envy grabbed Robotnik, and pinned him against the wall. He lifted him like a feather, despite the overlander's enormous girth. Envy cocked his fist back, but Robotnik only smiled. "Go ahead. Finish me. Figure out how to get home on your own."

Envy growled. He wanted to so bad. But…"Damn it!" He slammed Robotnik to the ground, and turned away. "Whatever it is you need to do, hurry it up. Gluttony's getting hungry again." he threatened. He walked off, looking for something to trash.

Robotnik took in a deep breath, and grabbed his chest, thankful his bluff worked. "Oh dear…maybe…huff…I SHOULD cut down on the cholesterol!" He practically ran to his computer and pressed the private communicator. "Snively! I can't take this anymore! They could kill me at any minute!"

"**You, sir! This Gluttony's eaten all of our prisoners! It's only a matter of time before he comes for me!"** Snively cried.

"Enough with your whining, Snively!" Robotnik shouted. Realizing Envy could still be nearby, he took a few deep breathes to calm himself down. He didn't want Envy or Lust to see him panic like this. "Snively, update me on the progress of our sub bosses transports."

"**Good news, sir!"** He was unusually happy, Robotnik noted. **"They should arrive here in a few hours!"**

"Excellent, Snively!" He cut off the communication, and went back to work. "I best speed up preparation for the Flying Battery. The Freedom Fighters could interfere any minute now!"

* * *

Ed stared at the ground from the plane in awe. "They really are flying!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe it!"

"Yeah. Good observation, mate." Geoffrey commented sarcastically.

"They don't have planes in your world, Ed?" Sally asked, fascinated by how their worlds seemed advanced and behind in different areas.

"No; we only just started using hot air balloons as transport. But flight like this…in my world, it's thought to be impossible!" Ed exclaimed, never taking his eyes off the window.

"Can't imagine how bored you must have been in your world." Sonic commented. He looked out his window, smiling. "At least your brother seems to be having a heck of a time with Dulcy. Too bad I can't say the feelings mutual." He observed with a chuckle.

Like a kid getting a piggy-back ride, Al was having the time of his life riding Dulcy, since he couldn't quite fit in the plane. Flying like this was something else, something he doubt anyone back in his world could ever hope to experience. Unfortunately, his weight was more than what Dulcy was used to. The poor dragon was sweating her tail off to keep them both in flight!

"Everyone!" Antoine alerted everyone as he piloted the plane. "Ve're approaching zee leemits of Robotnik's Are Sheep Detective space! I recoomend zat we land immediately!"

"Copy that." Rotor, Antoine's co-pilot confirmed as he deployed the landing gear.

The plane touched down, and the break sheets sprung up, slowing the plane down gradually as it plowed across the surface. Ed watched the process with utmost fascination. "Wow…I need to figure out how these things work." He said.

Simultaneously, Dulcy touched down, sliding across the ground and kicking up dirt, leaving an impression in the soil. "That was awesome!"Al yelled as he jumped off Dulcy.

The Dragon struggled to get back up and catch her breath. "Hope you enjoyed it, kid. Cause I don't think we'll be doing that again. EVER." She emphasized, thought the youngster did not hear her.

The Freedom Fighters and Ed disembarked, and the brothers got their first view of Robotropolis. A dark, smoggy city devoid of life. Worse than they imagined.

"I'd imagine it's quite different from your home world, aye mate?" St. John asked.

Ed eyed him suspiciously, and knew what he was really trying to was to expose their kind's nature as similar to Robotnik and the other overalnders. "Our cities are far cleaner than this…after all, people actually live in our cities…and besides, Al and I are country boys by birth, so cities aren't really our location of choice." He answered honestly.

Sonic then stepped in front of everyone and waved for everyone to follow him. "We better get goin'. I'd say quickly, but when most everyone else gets involved, it's too much for them."

Everyone got low to the ground, and made sure to avoid being seen among the wreckage and landfill. Of course, Ed and Al did not know what to watch out for. Plus, Al was too big to hide when compared to the mobians. He looked around the city, both in awe and horror of the technological wonders that surrounded them. He then noticed some orb-like thing flying around. "Wow. How is it doing that?" Al asked.

Suddenly, he and his brother were forced to the ground. "Get down!" Sally hissed. The orb passed right over them. Sally explained "That thing has a camera installed inside it. If it spots you, Robotnik will know you're here!"

Ed was again amazed by the technology, but put that behind him. "Sorry." He muttered, embarrassed that he and his brother nearly botched their mission.

"It's cool, man." Sonic assured him. "You're just goin' to have to learn as you go."

"In my book, that is what we grown-ups call the stupid way." St. John commented. That earned him a smack upside the head by Sally, causing Sonic to chuckle.

"Anyway…" Sally began. "…Sonic. Tails. You two know what to do."

Sonic nodded, and said to the Elrics "Come on guys. It's time you meet my Uncle Chuck." Sonic and Tails, to some displeasure, kept to the ground at normal speed, allowing the Elrics to follow them.

"The rest of you, with me." Sally commanded the other Freedom Fighters as they headed the opposite direction.

* * *

Robotnik, Snively and the Homunculi waited on the platform on one of the city's ports. The airship approached them, docked, and landed. The door opened, revealing 2 robots. One had an upper body that resembled a crocodile, but its lower body was a tank. The other seemed to be a metallic rabbit, with huge feet and wheels underneath. Unlike the other one, it also wore a jacket and a hat, though the ears were down as if they were floppy. Robotnik spread his arms, smiling. "Welcome, my friends! Your timing couldn't have been better!"

"**Easy for you to say!"** Crocbot yelled as he wheeled down the ramp. **"Just as I pulled myself back together, you had to call me away! The Downunda Freedom Fighters could regain complete control at any time!"**

Robotnik clasped the robot's shoulder plate. "Where we're going, you won't have to worry for very long. I have chosen you to accompany me to another universe, one of primitive but great rewards. And I wish to share that power with you…"

Crocbot's visors lit up. **"Now you're talking."** His lust for power was his greatest weakness, and ironically made him easy for the doctor to control.

"**And what about me, Doc Robotnuk sir?"** the one called Desert Whorl asked, sporting a southern accent.

"You are to guard the city." Snively instructed him. "Unlike Crocbot's, it is intact and we want to keep it that way. I take it you're up to the task?"

"**Sir, yes sir!" **the roboticized mobian saluted.

"Excellent!" Robotnik exclaimed. He turned to the Homunculi. "In less than 2 hours, we should be ready for take-off! Prepare yourselves!"

"Will there be something to eat?" Gluttony asked, sucking his finger.

"Yes, yes, of course!" Robotnik answered, irritated by the monster's infantile behavior. Suddenly, the new alarms he installed went off. "I wonder…" He switched on the screen, and smiled sinisterly at what he saw. "Normally, I would be furious. But, this is a perfect opportunity." He turned to the Homunculi. "Time for you three to earn your keep." He had to be careful to sound more like a partner instead of as their master. "Think of this as a test; I'd like to see how you all fare against the freedom fighters. Even if it proves to be a problem, your immortality should save you."

"We may as well be mortal for this." Envy said, creaking his neck. "It's pretty sad when all your evil schemes are thwarted by some cuddly animals."

Robotnik did his best to ignore Envy's statement. "Did you all study the data I gave you?" he asked.

"Yes." Lust answered.

"I skimmed it." Envy replied.

Robotnik looked at Gluttony sucking his finger, and sighed. "Of course, nothing." He slapped his palm against his face in anguish. "Well, I suppose that's to be expected. Now go!"

* * *

"All right then." Sonic whispered, making sure nobody was watching. "Follow me." Tails and the Elric brothers followed him, where they came across a junk pile. "Don't be fooled." Sonic said before the Elrics could question him. "Looks can be deceiving!" Sonic pounded his fist against the pile, hitting something solid. "Yo, Unc! Open up!"

At first, nothing happened. Then, a sliding motion was heard. _**"Password?"**_ a distorted voice asked.

"Chili Dogs with large Appalachian Mist, Curly Fries, and Tabasco." Sonic answered, bowing proudly.

Then, a door lifted, taking the junk with it. "Whoa. What a great disguise." Ed noted.

"**Well, for all of our sakes, I can't afford to be caught."** The voice said again, this time more friendly despite the mechanical tone to it. Then, a metallic being emerged, similar in structure to Sonic, minus the mustache. **"Sonny boy!"** he said, spreading his arms. **"It's been too long!"**

The two hedgehogs embraced. "Good to see you too, Unc." Sonic said, happy all was as well as it could be for his uncle.

As they separated, Chuck got a good look at Ed and Al. **"So, these are the two overlander brothers you and Sal told me about?" **

Sonic replied "Uh-huh. The s…" Sonic caught himself, but feared he was too late to correct his mistake. "…I mean, blond one is Ed."

The save didn't work; Ed clenched his fist and teeth. "OH, JUST SAY IT ALREADY! IT'S NOT LIKE-"

Al clamped his brother's mouth shut, reducing his outburst to a muffle. "Ed! Not here!" he whispered.

"And the big guy is his, believe or not, little brother, Al." Sonic finished.

Chuck walked forward and offered his hand. **"Pleased to meet you both. I am Charles Hedgehog, though everyone calls me Chuck. Sally has spoken very highly of you both."**

Ed calmed down, and shook it. "Nice to meet you. How…?"

"**Ah, my free will?"** Chuck asked. **"One of Robotnik's experiments gone haywire, well after I was roboticized." **

"**Woof!" **

The Elrics noticed a small mechanical dog come up to them. It behaved just like a normal dog, sniffing them and jumping up, wanting them to pet him. "This here is Muttski, our dog. We were both roboticized and freed around the same time. But enough talk about that; you two are here for the source of all our troubles. Come inside. It's not safe to be out in the open here for too long."

The Elrics crawled inside the hideout; there was just enough room for Al to enter in a crouched position. It was just like the spy bases back at home; notes on the wall, radios, the works. **"Welcome to my hideout. I can only be here for so long, since I'm expected to be around at regular shifts. Anyway, Sally told me you wanted to learn about the Roboticizer?" **

Ed nodded. "I know this sounds suspicious sir. But I need to restore Al to his real body. I don't expect it to be a cure-all, but it can at least point me in the right direction."

"**I understand."** Chuck nodded. He opened his visors and then projected the diagrams in front of them. **"This is the rough construction of the Roboticizer. Robotnik made many variations, but.." **The diagram than focused on a specific spot. **"This is the key component; Desorganisero."**

Ed and Al looked at it in awe as Chuck showed the its atomic structure. "I've never seen an element like this." The blond alchemist said in wonder.

"**It's actually a combination of different elements fused and super charged by radioactivity. It is highly unstable; if you're going to move it, it must be safely contained, preferably in a box of steel-titanium alloy. It can mutate and disrupt atomic structures…which was why I chose it for the main power source of the roboticizer." **

Ed realized that Chuck's knowledge was too perfect to come from mere spying. "I don't mean to pry, sir…but did you make this thing?"

Chuck looked down, ashamed. **"Yes. It was a time of war, and someone dear to me was on the verge of dying. I already made the blueprints for the machine, so feeling like he had nothing to lose, I took a chance and tested it on him."**

There was a moment of silence. "What became of him?" Al asked. He had a feeling it wasn't good.

"**A mindless machine. The roboticizer worked too well…all because of Robotnik, back when he was the warlord. He sabotaged it."** Ed and Al could not imagine the cruel twist of fate that led him to become a casualty of his own machine. In a way, it reminded them of their own attempt at human transmutation. **"But that's not important at the moment!"** Chuck growled, clenching his fist. **"One day, I'll find a way to become whole once again! Now…" **

The diagram changed into a motion picture, a demonstration to the slightest detail it seemed. **"The desorganisero ore, when ran through an electric current, will change the flesh of a living being into metal. When it's energy is focused, it takes neutrons and protons from the molecules in the air and** **forces them onto the target. It varies from person to person, but what metals are created depends on the type of tissue the energy hits. Bone usually turns into steel, most muscle into copper, and cardiac muscle is changed into aluminum. The brain becomes an alloy of different metals. Skin is mostly Zinc, and blood becomes petroleum. The roboticizer scans its target, determines its physiology and makes a blueprint of the robot equivalent. Then, the change commences." **

Edward took this all in. "An ore that can change atoms…it's unbelievable, but…" He looked straight at Uncle Chuck. "Sir, I need to know where the desorganiser is! I'm going to steal it, and at least put a dent in his plans! Then…" He looked at Al. Only he knew him well enough to see hope in his eyes as well. "…I'll be back on the path to restoring Al."

"**Understood."** Chuck said as he uploaded the schematics of the Roboticizer room. **"I cannot imagine the pain you must have gone through during that incident."** Sonic and Sally told him of their tale before they left. **"Know this, though; most anyone would have tried if they believed they could. What you committed was not a sin…rather, it was a wish all mortals try to achieve, mobian or not. But, we are not meant to revive the dead. To do so would make life itself a waste."** Ed and Al were stunned by the wisdom that Chuck spoke. **"Everything must come to an end; when that happens, none of us have any say. All we can do is accomplish what we can for the good of everyone with the time we have."**

Ed was now beginning to wonder if they did succeed in bringing their mother back…would that be a good thing? **"Here it is."** Chuck said as he projected the blueprints of Robotnik's tower. **"The roboticizer is located the floor below his war room. Not even I could figure out where he keeps the disruptor. But it must be close; a distance of more than a hundred yards will make lessen the effects to nothing."**

"I dunno about this, Unc." Sonic said skeptically. "Robotnik has made roboticizers all over the world, and he's made portable versions as well. The element can't be that rare. You sure this will make a difference?"

"**Good observation, Sonny Boy."** Chuck noted as he gave the Elrics a holographic projector for them to review. **"But just because it's rare doesn't mean you take out one and nothing will be left. Desorganisero ore is located deep in the Mobian crust; it will take him months and cost much bot power to start another operation to get more."**

"Much like a Chaos Emerald." Sonic noted. They were rare to, but they would still find some when they needed them.

"**Precisely."** Chuck confirmed. He turned to the Elrics quickly. **"Make sure you leave a piece for us too. We'll need it for a deroboticizer." **

It was good to know the process was reversible, just in case. "Will do, sir." Al responded. "Thank you very much. And good luck."

"**With Sonic here, we won't need much luck. But you'll need all the luck you can get with your situation. Sonic, show them the way to the Roboticizer, than regroup with the others." **

"But they may need help once they're inside!" Tails protested, much as he wanted to help the rest of the Freedom Fighters.

"It's okay." Ed said. "We've already troubled you all enough as it is. Besides…we're both going to need diversions." He began to grin evilly at the thought of it.

"That's right!" Al exclaimed. "With you and the Freedom Fighters here, Robotnik will have to attack you all somehow. However, if we're at his base…"

"Distraction to the max." Sonic finished for him, flashing a cocky smile. "The quickest path from here…for you guys, at least…is through the Metropolis block. Uncle Chuck…"

"**I'm on it."** Uncle Chuck loaded the map of the block Sonic mentioned into a simple portable computer; the Elrics would have no trouble using it. **"That should get you through there. But be careful!"** he warned them as he handed Ed the device.

"Will do." Ed shook Chuck's hand. "And thank you."

"**It was a pleasure meeting you."** Chuck returned. **"Sonic, remember. Robotnik has the Homunculi now. Even with your speed, they'll be an opponent unlike anything we've ever faced."**

"No prob Unc. No matter who the enemy is, they still have to catch me." He gave his Uncle a cocky thumbs up. "Besides, Tails will bail me out. If things get tough."

"Way past, Sonic!" Tails exclaimed as he high-fived him.

"All right! Let's do it to it!" Sonic pumped his fist at the Elrics, who just looked at him confused.

"Uh…what are you doing?" Ed asked.

"A ritual, maybe?" Al questioned.

"What? You don't have one of these in your home world?" Sonic asked, shocked.

Tails guided Ed's fist to Sonic's. "You see, first you bring your fists together. Then, one puts his fist on top of the other, and the process is reversed. You end it with thumbs up." Ed just looked at both of them dumb-founded.

"Oh, forget it! We don't have time for this!" Sonic's legs revved up and resembled spinning wheels. "Good luck!" He and Tails sped off, while the Elrics took off in a different route.

* * *

Sally suddenly signaled to the Freedom Fighters to get down. On her command, they hid in the junk. Swatbots were guarding the construction site, and there were lots of them. That usually meant Robotnik had something big planned.

"Sally girl, what in the heck could that be?" Bunnie asked as she observed the laboring bots hard at work.

"No idea." Sally answered. Lately, even Uncle Chuck was being kept out of the loop of many of Robotnik's schemes. "But I've a feeling we don't want to find out. Geoffrey…"

At her command, St. John readied his crossbow, and fired. The arrow hit it's mark in the neck junction of a swatbot. However, this wasn't a normal arrow; such weapons were ineffective against the robot's metallic hide. Instead of a simple tip, this one had a scrambler charge. The swatbot jolted with electricity, and its arm was locked into firing position. It spun wildly, firing the entire security team. When it was the only one left, Bunnie took it out with her plasma cannon.

"Well done, Bunnie, St. John." Sally complimented her comrades. The Freedom Fighters ran towards the entrance. "Come on! We don't know when Sonic will-" Sally back flipped away from the entrance as lances seemingly popped out of nowhere.

"My apologies; normally, I could care less what you furry things do, but for the sake of my partnership, I'm afraid I can't let you pass."

The Freedom Fighters looked up to see a curvy female overlander at the top of one of the cranes. Sally recognized her immediately. "It's the homunculi! Lust, I believe."

"So, they told you about me." Lust jumped from a seemingly fatal height and landed in front of them, unharmed. "I'm flattered."

Sally doubted it would work, but she had to try to solve the situation diplomatically. "Why are siding with Robotnik? From what I understand, you have no quarrel with us."

Lust only sneered. "Oh, but I do! Robotnik's technology…so astounding! When this is brought over to Amestris, it will start a war like nothing our world has seen before. Then, we will have enough lives to complete the philosopher's stone!" Lust flexed her fingers menacingly. "And as long as you're committed to stopping him…then I'm afraid we do have a fight on our hands."

St. John stepped forward with his crossbow loaded. "Normally, I wouldn't care much about the affairs of overlanders…but whether it be against us or them, I cannot allow Ivo's creations to cause any more suffering!"

Lust only continued to sneer. "Well, go ahead, tough guy…" She coaxed him. "…take your best shot."

"With pleasure." St. John replied. He fired his arrow, and it lodged into Lust's skull. Though she took a few steps back from the force of it, however, she did not fall.

"Hmmm, perhaps you are stronger than you appear." She pulled the arrow out, and broke it. Antoine clamped his hand over his mouth, trying his best to hold it in. "But against us, that's not saying much."

"Try chewn' on this, madame!" Bunnie extended her arm forward and punched Lust right in the face, sending her flying into the fence.

Sally saw her chance. "Rotor! Now!"

Rotor shook a can, and threw it at the homunculus. It exploded into blue foam, surrounding her. Then, it hardened. Lust struggled to get out, but that was proving difficult, and her arms were at the wrong angle to pick at the foam. "You've come prepared. How cute." She growled.

"Robotnik has been underestimating us since we were kids. I've learned to use that to our advantage." Sally replied, smug.

"Bravo, bravo. But…so have I!"

As if on cue, a mouth erupted out of the ground, right under Sally's feet. Thankfully, Sally was quick and agile enough to flip out of the way as the large homunculus emerged. "Everyone, keep your distance! That's Gluttony, the one that can eat anything!"

Gluttony grinned madly and licked his lips as he got a good look at the mobians. "Meat, meat! Delicious meat!"

Gluttony snapped at everyone as they tried to back away. St. John fired some explosive arrows, but any damage they did was only temporary, as his wounds closed up almost instantly. "You need to consider goin' on a diet!" Bunny kicked him right in the stomach, but even with her great strength the best she could do was make him stumble. "Tough one, aren't y'all?" Bunnie tried punching him, but Gluttony simply caught her fist in his mouth. "Hey! Leggo! Metallic prosthetics ain't on the menu, sugar!" Quickly, she began to feel the corrosive acids softening her artificial hand, as Gluttony began to bite down. And Bunnie reacted instantly, activating her cannon. The plasma blast blew a hole through the monster's skull, causing him to loosen his grip and fall to the ground. Bunnie's arm changed back into normal mode, allowing her to have a good look at the damage he caused. It seemed everything was still functional, but the fingers and hand were corroded and their wires were showing. Something she couldn't let go for too long. A few seconds more and it would have melted away entirely. Gluttony got back up, and lunged. Bunnie activated her rocket thrusters, and flew into the air and into safety. However, out of nowhere spears seemed to attack her. She activated her energy shield, preventing herself from being stabbed, but she still fell to the ground out cold.

Lust was free of the foam, managing to force herself out while the freedom fighters were distracted. "This was fun. But I think I've had enough..." She aimed her spears at the downed bunny…

* * *

"Sonic!" Tails shouted as he noticed his watch flashing red.

"Yeah, buddy, I know!" Sonic saw the same thing, and that meant their friends needed them. "Ed and Al can take care of themselves! Come on, Tails! Time to juice!"

The duo raced through the city, alerting the swatbots of their presence. None of it mattered though; they couldn't catch them, and were already likely aware of their friends' presence, so stealth was probably pointless. "Let's take a short cut through the chemical plant!" Sonic told Tails.

The duo entered a concoction of pipes and chemical waste that not even cockroaches would dare enter. One drop into the sea of waste below and one could risk being reduced to bone. It wasn't much of a problem for Tails, with his ability to fly. Sonic, however, would have to be cautious; as cautious as his attitude would allow him to be anyway. Besides, with years of experience dodging traps and performing death-defying stunts that gave Jackal Chan a run for his money, he was pretty confident he would make it through. He ran across a large pipe, Tails not far behind. The metal was slippery, but that only helped Sonic in many ways. "Whoo-hoo!" Sonic jumped across a large section of pipe, cutting his distance between the plant and his friends.

"Sonic! Jump!" Tails shouted suddenly.

Heeding Tails warning, Sonic jumped up as soon as he touched ground; he saw the section of the pipe behind him turn rapidly. Had he not heard Tails, he would've taken a dive into some nasty toxic waste. "Thanks little buddy!"

"Sally taught me how to look out for trap doors and the like!" Tails exclaimed proudly.

Without skipping a beat, Sonic slid through a tight opening between buildings, while Tails flew around it. In no time, they were together again.

Just then, Tails found some flower-like badniks crawling around the pipe. "Sonic!"

"I see them!" Sonic rolled into his Spin Dash, and pulverized them all. "There! Piece of…"

"Sonic, help!"

Sonic screeched to a halt as he witnessed a spider-like robot grab Tails from the roof of where they just ran. Tails was apparently having trouble breathing, as his breaths were getting shallower. _"It's constricting him!"_ Sonic immediately launched into a Sonic Spin and destroyed the robot, freeing his friend. "You okay, little buddy?"

"Yeah…LOOK OUT!" he pointed frantically.

More Crawlers descended from the roof, preparing to snatch up the two mobians. "Aw, man. This is like a bad horror show. Where's an exterminator when you need one?"

Sonic and Tails destroyed the rest of them before they could grab hold. "Come on, Tails! We can't allow Buttnik the pleasure of slowing us down!"

"Right!"

* * *

"Al…what have we gotten ourselves into?" Ed asked as he felt his heart sink upon observing the place.

The brothers followed the map to an industrial factory, again more advanced than anything they've seen. The layout was complicated, and oil burned down below. Overall, the Elrics really did not want to navigate this mad maze. "Well, this is the place." Al said, observing the instructions on the computer. "It says that so long as we head straight, we should follow it to the citadel. From there, we can break into a chute."

Ed sighed, rubbing his hair. This was probably going to be their shortest yet most challenging trek yet. "Oh well. Let's go!"

"Right!" The two brothers dashed forward, keeping their eye on Robotnik's citadel. They had to go through some kind of pillar on the way that was passing rays of light. "How is it doing that?" Al wondered.

"As much as I'd like to know, now's not the time!" Ed replied, as if reading his brother's mind. "Besides, it's just light." Ed ran through it, right when a new ray appeared above him. Ed yelped in pain as the laser burned him and ruined his jacket. "OW!" Ed rolled, and sat up, checking his body for damage. It was a nasty burn, but he would live. "Al! Don't walk into those lights, or anything like it! Somehow, Robotnik can make them hot enough to burn solid objects!"

Al nodded, and drew a transmutation circle on the pillar. He poured his energy into it, and broke it down. While it was an effective way of getting past such obstacles, it wasn't very time-efficient.

Just then, robots dropped to their level. One variety looked like crabs with mace-like claws; the others looked like praying mantis. Ed and Al got into defensive stances. "Al…are these roboticized mobians?" Ed asked.

Al observed the instructions. "No! These are badniks; they were never alive to begin with!"

Ed smiled. "Good! Then there's no need to hold back!"

The two alchemists and robot assasins attacked. The Shellcrackers attacked Ed with their claws, but Ed's steel arm proved to be quite efficient in blocking them, and a simple kick sent them all flying. Al's armor got scratched up by the slicers, but he beat each and every one of them away. When it seemed they were down to the last one, the slicer threw its blades straight at Ed. Quickly, Al shielded him, and Ed jumped over him, slicing the badnik in half with his sword-arm.

"This is getting us nowhere fast, not like Sonic can!" Al exclaimed.

Ed pondered this for a moment. "Maybe we could transmute something to help us…like maybe some kind of vehicle"

"But we don't know how their machines even work yet, if we ever will!" Al exclaimed.

Ed then clapped his hands and said "Oh well! Science is all about experimenting!" Edward transmuted the metal below him and from the broken badniks, and wheels then formed on his feet.

"Skates!" Al asked incredulously. "You're going to get us to move faster with skates!"

"Not just any skates Al!" Ed pointed to the pipes behind his ankles proudly. "Rocket skates!"

"What!"

"Not only did I transmute the exterior and robots for the structure…but there was also enough material to transmute metal into petroleum! This should be enough fuel to make a car run 130 km/hr!" Ed then motioned Al towards a little pulley near his heel. "Pull the rip cord, and I'm off."

Al was clearly hesitant. When Ed tried something new, it usually backfired on them. "Ed, I don't think that's a-"

"Al, just pull the damn rip cord!" Ed hissed, irritated by his brother's caution. Al did so, reluctantly, and the little engines in Ed's newly fashioned skates began to roar to life. "See, Al? Nothing to worry abouUUUUGGGHHHH!"

Ed suddenly took off, leaving Al behind. "Al, stop these crazy things!" He was already too far away; all Ed could do was hang on. Ed managed to stabilize himself, and while not quite as fast as Sonic, he was still covering a lot of ground much faster than before. "This is…incredible…WHOAA!" Ed crouched down as he zoomed under the opening of a building. "That was too close!" Ed dodged each obstacle coming his way, getting better each time. When a large vent was coming up, he leaped into the air, bringing his ankles to his hand. "YES! ED TOUCHES THE SKY, HAHAHAHA…" Just then, Ed realized something: HE WAS GRABBING HIS ANKLES WITH HIS LEFT HAND! "OW, HOTHOTHOT….!" Ed released his feet and touched down, blowing on his flesh hand. _"Good things those gloves of mine are made of stern stuff." _

Ed continued down the corridor, but then, spikes out of nowhere flew towards him in all directions. "AHHHHH!" While nothing hit a vital organ, they still cut Ed up pretty good. Ed soon found the cause as he zoomed by: robots, which looked like starfish, detected his movements. When they spotted him, the light in the center would flash, and finally they would self-detonate, releasing the spikes at each corner. "Well, if that's the way Robotnik wants to play…" Ed clapped his hands, and placed his automail arm on the floor. Though he was travelling at high speed, his metallic hand was able to endure the friction and still be effective. As he skated along the path, pillars of steel jutted out, smashing each starbomb he saw on the way. "Yes! It should be smooth cruising from…" His sentence turned into a scream as he fell into a pit. "WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME!" He landed hard, but not as badly as he expected. "Omph!" Ed realized he was on a moving platform. "Whew! A few feet lower and I could have broken something!"

Ed waited for the platform to descend to an opening, and got off. Looking at his feet, he saw that his rocket skates were demolished. "I wonder what I do now to get to the end." Ed walked down the corridor, and saw a cylinder with an open door. "Maybe something in there will give me a clue." He walked inside and inspected it. "Huh. There's nothing here. No switch or mechanism that I can use to…" Suddenly, Ed felt himself become weightless, and the cylinder flashed with light. "AHHH! WHAT'S HAPPENING!" Then, he disappeared.

* * *

Lust's spears were blocked from reaching Bunnie as Antoine stepped in to parry them with his sabre. "Hnn!" With a surprising show of strength, Antoine pushed the spears away. "Bunnie! Hurry!" Antoine took Bunnie's hand, helping her up, and ran.

"You can't escape me!" Lust, however, stumbled back as Sally landed a sidekick on her head. She felt much worse, but she underestimated the mobian's strength once again.

"Everyone! Regroup! Rotor, Geoffrey! Cover us!" Sally ordered as she and her two friends retreated.

"As you command, your highness!" the skunk replied. Rotor tossed flash pellets into the air, as St. John shot a blunt arrow into the sky. Both generated globes of blinding light that not even the homunculi could withstand.

"Ugh! Filthy vermin!" Lust cried as she swung her elongated nails in vain. The light subsided, and the Freedom Fighters were out of their sight. Lust growled in frustration and clenched her fists. "How dare they humiliate me like this! Robotnik was right; I shouldn't have underestimated them!"

"**Quite right, my dear." **

Lust spun to see Robotnik's face on a hovering camera screen. "You were watching the whole thing!"

"**Of course I was. If we're going to work together, I have to fully understand what you're capable of against the freedom fighters. I'll be nice and consider this a mock exam. But now you know full well why they are a constant threat to my empire! I expect better from you all from now on."**

Lust hissed in frustration. "We're not done yet. We've still got an ace up our sleeve."

* * *

Robotnik cut off communication with Lust.

"Perhaps they're not as powerful as we were led to believe, sir?" Snively asked. If that were true, he would actually be relieved.

"Oh, they're powerful, make no mistake; the freedom fighters had to retreat, after all." Robotnik answered. "They just needed to learn just how much of a nuscence they can be. I doubt those rodents will get lucky with a second encounter. However, I'm still concerned about how they will fare against Sonic; he has defied the impossible before…" Just then, alarms went off in two different locations. "Computer: show me the source of our troubles." The monitor split, and Robotnik was able to observe both locations at once. On one side, he saw Sonic and Tails zooming through the Chemical Plant block. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear." he growled. He then looked at the other side. In the Metropolis block, it seemed an overlander with blond hair had been for a ride with one of his obsolete teleporters. "Could that be him? The Fullmetal Alchemist?"

Robotnik grinned, and looked at his nephew. "Snively! Intercept the Alchemist! Do your utmost to defeat him, and make sure you record it! There are more like him in his world; if we're going to fight such beings, it's best we know how they may potentially fight back!"

"Yes sir! Gladly!" Snively cackled evilly.

Robotnik walked towards their two egg mobiles as he instructed Snively. "Our machines are fitted with different armaments. The blueprints should be simple enough for you to follow!"

"Of course, sir!" Snively said as he boarded his own egg mobile.

"And Snively?"

"Yes, sir?" Snively asked.

"Don't humiliate yourself!" Robotnik ignited his machine's engine, and blasted off.

* * *

Sonic and Tails finally seemed to have made it to the end of the chemical plant. It seemed that all that stood between them and their friends was a solitary pipe. "We'll be out of this dump in a Sonic second!" Sonic told his friend above. Midway through, a wall came up.

"Whoa!" Sonic leapt back, only to run into another wall.

"Greetings, hedgehog!" Sonic looked up to see Robotnik descend from the sky in his egg mobile. "How nice of you to drop by! I was beginning to feel a little lonely without you!"

Sonic muttered "Can't say the feeling's mutual, Buttnik!"

"I hear you've brought quite an interesting friend over! He has information I need…Would you be kind enough to contact him for me?" Robotnik asked in a mock-begging tone.

"First, I don't think I could be ever kind to you." Sonic shot back. "And I've a feeling you will have a run in with him anyway. Besides, I've heard you got a couple of chumps working for you!"

Robotnik chuckled in amusement. "You should worry for a change, hedgehog. They have powers I've never dreamed of, and they cannot be killed! I just dispatched them after your friends…" Sonic's smirk changed into a frown. "I gave Gluttony very specific instructions regarding your princess…"

"You son of a-"The platform under Sonic's feet rapidly rotated. Sonic of course leapt off, but another rotated, and another after that. "Damn it! I don't have time to play hop-scotch!"

"Be careful you don't fall in, hedgehog!" Robotnik sneered. "The chemicals below will reduce you to bones!"

Sonic immediately grabbed onto Tails, who lifted him up. "I'll get us-"

Suddenly, both felt an electric shock and fell to the ground. Thankfully, they were still conscious enough to land on their feet.

"HAHAHA! I rigged this area electric force field to keep you here!" Robotnik tightly gripped the clutch to his ship. "The only way to get to your dear friends…is through me."

Sonic dusted off his arm, and smirked. "You make it sound like something impossible…but we both know better than that now, don't we?"

* * *

Ed finally came to his senses. "Geez. That was…interesting." Ed walked down the path, seeing that he was within reach of the citadel. "Finally!" Ed's first instinct was to run inside, but he looked back, realizing he had to wait for Al. "He's a smart kid. He'll find a way to catch up to me in no-"

"Greetings, stranger!" Ed looked up to see a roundish craft descend towards him. While Ed did not take any action, he still moved back defensively. A man with an outrageously large nose and strands of hair that he could count on his fingers was piloting the craft, giving him a malicious grin. "I…am Snively the Great! And you, my fellow overlander, are trespassing."

Ed frowned. _"Doesn't anyone on this world call us humans?" _Ed straightened up, and called to him. "Stand aside and let me have the plans to the roboticizer! Trust me, you do not want to fight me!"

Snively only laughed in response. "Ohh, but I do! I've been looking for a worthy opponent to test my intellect!"

Ed rolled his eyes and dusted off his ruined coat. "Suit yourself. But I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that you should be aware of!"

"Such as what!" Snively cackled. "Go ahead! Do your worst!"

Suddenly, something flew into the air and nailed Snively on the nose. "AAAHHH!" Snively's craft backed up as the overlander desperately tried to straighten out his bleeding and broken nose. Snively then noticed a boxing glove (with eyes and a string of blond hair) on a spring was what hit him in the face, and it was connected to the metallic floor below, close to the blond-haired overlander. _"That wasn't there before!"_ "You…you…How dare you!"

Ed just smirked. "Told ya."

Snively growled and pushed the clutch down. "Fair enough. But, if its tricks up one's sleeve you want…I'll give it to you!" IN SPADES." he growled threateningly.

* * *

Next, it's a double boss battle! And you'll see what Robotnik is firing up soon!

Also, Desorganisero is a play on the French word for disrupt.

Catch you all next time!


	6. Sonic Transmutation

Hi everyone! Happy 2012, and I hope you haven't forgotten about this fic, because...well, I think that should be obvious.

Nothing new to report really. Just took my time making this fic, and thought I'd give you what I have so far. So, please enjoy, and don't forget to review.

* * *

Bunnie pushed the grate out of their way as they all exited the shaft they crawled through. The Freedom Fighters had managed to find another way into the construction site. However, now, they had to hurry; the homunculi were on their tails. "Oh mah stars." Bunnie whispered as she observed where their detour landed them.

The ship was a vast array of tunnels and platforms. "Ivo just had to make this more difficult for us." St. John groaned.

"It's kind of odd that Chuck didn't tell us about this." Rotor noted as he observed his surroundings. As much as he hated Robotnik, he did have a begrudging respect for his mechanical skill.

"I'd imagine Robotnik is getting wise to our spy network." Sally replied. "Even so, this ship looks almost complete! It could take off at any time!"

"Any time?" Antoine asked in response to Sally's statement. "Vee ar doomed!" he yelled and panicked.

Bunnie suddenly slapped the cowardly coyote across the face. "Sugar 'twan! Hush! You'll attract 'bots!"

While Antoine continued to tremble silently, Sally popped open Nichole. "I've got to find a terminal to hook Nichole up to. Whatever this thing is, Nichole can stop it!"

"Which way, though?" St John asked. "The command center could be either left or right. Choose incorrectly, and we'll never be able to fix our mistake. Splitting up won't do us much good either, if you and Nichole wind up going the wrong way."

"No problem." Sally responded. "Nichole, track radio wave density." She commanded.

"**Scanning, Sally."** The computer replied. In a few seconds, it responded **"I am detecting a large density of radio waves to your left, Sally."**

"Excellent, Nichole!" She signaled for the Freedom Fighters to follow her lead. "I'd imagine that Robotnik set up some kind of satellite to send radio waves to the control console. They will converge there!"

* * *

"Here I come, Hedgehog!" Robotnik's egg mobile revealed a large canister receiving a blue liquid.

Sonic tried to hit him with his sonic spin, but the doctor was too high. He would have had Tails attack him, but he figured Robotnik anticipated that as well and decided not to chance it. Besides, he might need his help to keep his footing. The platforms kept turning, and it was all Sonic could do to stay ahead of them.

"I've used the rotating pipe to prevent optimum use of your agility! That way, it will give me enough time…to do this!" The canister was full, and Robotnik dumped it, aiming for Sonic.

Sonic managed to leap back, but the contents splashed across the pipe. A drop managed to touch Sonic's arm, instantly causing his fur and skin to burn. Sonic hissed in pain as he gripped his arm.

"Sonic!" Tails called. "Whatever that chemical is, it's dense, and the contents will spill all over, even if you dodge it!"

Sonic jumped off a section of the pipe just before it turned. "Yeah, I can see that!" He shouted back, taking a look at the burn on his arm.

"Bravo, Tails!" Robotnik chided, clapping his hands in mock applause. "You figured it out! I wasn't going to take the chance of Sonic dodging my blows! I decided on something that would do damage…even if I missed!"

The canister was refilled, and Robotnik once again spilled the contents. Sonic dodged most of it, but drops from the splash still singed his spines. _"He's right! It's only a matter of time before I dodge the wrong way…or worse, fall into the mega mack below! There must be-"_Sonic nearly fell over as the platform rotated again. "Whoa!" Sonic jumped to the other side, avoiding most of another chemical spill but once again feeling the burn of the drops. _"They're getting faster! That one almost sent me flying!" _

Sonic's eyes then widened at what he just thought. "That's it!" he exclaimed, snapping his fingers

"Sonic!" Tails flew right beside his friend. "I can attack Robotnik! Just-"

"No!" Sonic shouted, holding him back. "I got a plan!" Sonic jumped to the other side; he calculated there was a 5 second interval for each part of the platform before they moved position. Another one was about to turn. "Right…about…NOW!"

Sonic used the momentum to launch himself towards the egg mobile. Robotnik didn't even see him come up from behind, but he felt the vehicle fly forward against his command and the damage alarms blared. "AH!" Robotnik pushed the klutch to stabilize it, and had a look. There was a pretty bad dent in the side, along with scratch marks that exposed the inner workings of the craft. "You filthy rodent! Do you have any idea how much time this took to paint!" he yelled, shaking his fist.

Robotnik got another can of chemical sludge ready, while Sonic beckoned him to come, smiling eagerly. "I ain't done playing with you yet, Buttnik! Bring it on!"

* * *

"Are you ready, friend?" Snively asked maliciously. Snively flipped the switches on his egg mobile, which opened a compartment in the machine. Silver orbs floated out and began to surround him.

Ed just raised an eyebrow. "Eggs? You're fighting me with eggs?"

Snively cackled. "Just you wait! Egg orbit system…activate!" The eggs began to circle him like a planet, only at an incredibly high speed.

"You wasted enough of my time as it is!" Ed shouted, pointing at Snively. "I'm kicking your ass and getting the heck out of here!" Ed clapped his hands, and placed them on the ground. A spike of steel jutted out towards Snively's egg mobile. Normally, he would panic. But not this time.

He was prepared this time around. "I think not!" As soon as the spike landed, it broke into pieces, the eggs chipping away at it like a chainsaw on a tree.

"Whoa." was Ed's only reply.

"Hehehe. These eggs are rotating at the speed of sound; half of Sonic's maximum. If these can break steel…" The eggs' orbit began to expand rapidly towards Ed. "…imagine what they'll do to you."

Ed tried to jump out of the way, but one of the eggs managed to graze him and sent him flying. "Oof!" Ed landed hard, but thankfully, nothing was broken. "I gotta remember not to underestimate the technology of this place…" Ed quickly transmuted a wall in front of him, but it bent under pressure from the eggs. "Jeez!" Ed covered his head and retreated.

Snively drove his ship forward, laughing at the thought of making his own kind fear him. "Run run run little man! You can't block forever!"

Ed suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" he shouted, slowly turning his head and giving Snively his best death glare. Despite Snively having the upper hand at the moment, it seemed to work.

"I-I said, you can't block-"

"NO! BEFORE THAT! NO ONE CALLS ME LITTLE, EVER!"

Ed charged and transmuted his arm into a sword. Snively momentarily feared for his life, but expanded the orbit. "Fool!" Ed jumped above the eggs, as the area of the circle was still possible to dodge. Ed brought his sword-arm down, aiming for Snively's head. "Egad!" Snively put the ship in reverse, narrowly missing Ed's blade. Snively breathed a sigh of relief, not realizing a strand of his hair came off. "Ha! You're not Sonic! He would never miss!"

Ed just smirked. "Don't worry; I always follow through with my attacks."

Just then, the egg mobile's metallic skin peeled, revealing a deep cut all the way on its circumference; the cut was so deep even part of the engine was showing. "Eep! Uncle is going to kill me!"

Snively sped the eggs up again, but this time, Ed was ready for them. An egg raced towards him…and Ed clapped his hands, placing his palm on it. Though the force initially began to push him back, the force rapidly decreased and the egg glowed, beginning to alter shape. "These are pretty dense for their size; I can easily turn them against you." Finally, he stopped, and seemed to be holding onto a chain with a ball on the end. "Be warned, this ball here is heavy; no one wants to get hit by this thing."

"What in the world!" Snively asked, befuddled. "Is this alchemy? The sorcery those monsters spoke of!"

"Yes and no." Ed replied. "It's science, not magic. I'm getting sick of explaining that. But yeah; if they told you anything about me, this is just the tip of the iceberg!"

Snively got a better look, and saw that Ed had changed the egg into a ball and chain, a medieval throwing weapon. "Crap!" Snively sped up the egg rotation, hoping to form a shield around him. Ed began spinning himself; ball and chain weapons were not very accurate. That being said, Ed was still pretty good with them. Just as the egg orbit was about to reach him, he jumped up and threw it. Snively vainly tried to dodge, but the ball hit its mark, denting the side and dislocating one of his fingers. "AHHH!"

Snively tried his best to ignore the pain, but he wasn't exactly a tough guy. Before throwing a tantrum again, Snively took a few deep breaths and calmed down. "Well done. Well done." He hissed. "Not even Sonic has been able to make me look like such a fool." He winced as he put his finger back in place. "Ow."

"You don't need his help for that, Pinocchio." Edward taunted back.

"Mock me, make spite of me. But I'll show you how dangerous a man I am." Snively flipped a few switches on the console. "I didn't want to do this, but now you have forced my hand. Get ready…for phase 2."

* * *

"Hold still, you miserable hedgehog!" Robotnik shouted as he aimed for his nemesis once again.

The chemical was poured again, but Sonic dodged like he usually did. And now, the splash had no effect on him; he simply spun like a top, dispersing the excess chemicals without touching them. "Uh…no!" The hedgehog taunted him. "Besides, do I ever listen to you?"

As the platforms spun again, Sonic once again used the momentum to launch himself at the egg mobile, this time getting a deep cut in. Robotnik growled and slammed his fist. "To think, I had you!" The tyrant then flipped a few switches on the console. "No matter; I actually wanted you to force me to do this!"

Suddenly, a tube sprouted from the egg mobile's center, and turned towards Sonic. _"That looks like it could be a problem."_ Sonic thought. Then, a blue liquid shot at Sonic. Though he ducked, the acid was so corrosive the platform behind him began to melt. "Mondo problem! Definitely!"

Robotnik wouldn't even have to hit him; if the entire tube broke down, Sonic would fall into the waste below. "This will be over quickly, rodent!" Robotnik cackled madly as he kept shooting at Sonic.

Tails, who looked from the air in horror, charged. Sonic told him not to, but he needed his help! "I was wondering when you were going to do that!" the overlander chided as he pressed a button. A sprinkler from the front of the ship showed itself, and began spraying. Tails immediately retreated, narrowly dodging the chemical sprays. Tails also noticed that they too were melting the floor Sonic was on.

Robotnik laughed, confident he won. "It's your choice; stay safe and let Sonic perish even faster…or go down and help him. I promise you, you won't dodge my spray gun!" Robotnik pointed it at him for good measure.

Tails momentarily panicked. _"What do I do!_ _What do I do!"_

"Tails!" Sonic called out to him as he dodged and watched his steps. "It ain't as bad as it seems!"

"What do you want me to do! He can hear us!"

"Just do as I tell you!"

* * *

Ed waited patiently as the eggs spun around Snively, waiting for him to attack. Soon, much like Sonic would (unbeknownst to him), his foot began to tap the ground with impatience. "Um…I'm waiting here!" he growled.

Snively only laughed. "Then come and get me; I am at your mercy after all." He emphasized the point, spreading his arms away from the controls.

Ed only gave him an evil grin as he charged. "It's your funeral!" He leaped right at him, the eggs seemingly nowhere to be found. And that set off an alarm in Ed's head; there were opportunities that were too easy, and then there were opportunities that were ridiculously too easy. Ed tried his best to halt his attack; unfortunately, the blade's tip just scratched Snively's egg mobile. Ed retreated, but not far enough to protect him from the explosion that immediately followed. Ed was sent flying back and tumbling. Ed moaned as his ears rung; he was so close to the blast that now he could barely stand from the impact.

It was then that Snively seemingly reappeared from oblivion to mock him."HAHAHA! I hope that didn't hurt too bad…I would like to use these tactics longer, after all…" he continued chuckling lower.

Ed got up, thankful that his only major damage was a bump to the head. "How? You blew yourself up…"

"Yes, I suppose that's what it would look like to someone of lesser intelligence." Snively sneered.

Suddenly, a duplicate seemingly popped out of nowhere. Minus the floating eggs, it matched him to the tee. In fact, now that Ed had a good look, the machine had two less eggs orbiting it. "The eggs!" he shouted in realization.

"Wow. He got one right." Snively laughed at what he believed was a good joke. "The eggs produce holograms that resemble me. If you make the slightest contact with one, the eggs go off. You got lucky last time; had you not braced yourself, your leg would have been broken."

Then, the two separated, flying into the air. They surrounded Ed, and began to spin rapidly. "Oh crap!"

They were trying to pull a switcheroo, so Ed wouldn't know which one to hit…Or avoid. "Ready?" Snively yelled from above. Ed said nothing, causing Snively to grin maliciously. "I didn't think so!" The two ships made a dive for him. Ed reacted instinctively, transmuting the metal beneath him. A pillar allowed him to rise from ground level. Ed then leaped off, as it was shown the pillar wasn't as whole as he made it out to be; it was constructed like a jenga tower, and purposefully made unstable. The blocks fell just as the two Snivelys were about to ram into it. One managed to move away, but another block fell on the other, detonating it. The real egg mobile reeled from the shockwave, and got a good amount of frag lodged into its side.

"There you are!" Ed transmuted again, this time sending metal spikes into the ship and eggs. The eggs exploded all around Snively; Ed was momentarily worried that he might have killed him. As the smoke cleared and revealed a ruined egg mobile on the floor, Snively emerged from the cockpit, his face black with soot. The alchemist could've sworn he also saw Snively's few strands of hair on fire, like candles on a birthday cake. "He must have ducked to protect himself." Ed noted. Snively furiously jiggled with the clutch and managed to get it flying again.

"You…you…" he seethed.

Ed just held up his hand to shut him up; he had enough of this clown. "Spare me with the name calling; it just shows what an idiot you are."

Snively then began to snicker as he pressed a button on the switchboard. "If you think those eggs were my only weapon…then you're dead wrong." The yellow circle in the ship's front began to glow. Ed didn't know how he knew, but his eyes widened in realization at what was coming next. "Or, perhaps in your case, just plain dead."

Ed could do nothing as a beam began to form…

* * *

"Stay where you are!" Sonic ordered his companion. He ran towards Tails while Robotnik fired at him; a miss, but at least that part of the platform had finally melted away. If Sonic made a wrong move, he could not avoid being eaten alive.

Predictably, Sonic grabbed on to Tails, and the two charged towards him. Robotnik only sneered at their apparent foolishness, attacking him head on. "If it's a painful death you both want, I shall give to you, gladly!" Robotnik prepared to aim.

"Tails! Catch!" Sonic tossed his friend a power ring. "Use it!"

"Right!" Tails said excitedly. Tails concentrated on the energy inside, and let it flow within him. Suddenly, he felt better than he ever recalled, like he had been trained to the peak of physical perfection with no fatigue at all. He felt like he could run a thousand miles….or fly a thousand, to be more precise.

Suddenly, Tails accelerated past the acid gun, just when Robotnik fired. The stream missed the two mobians completely. But Robotnik had another vial ready. _"They're planning to go under! I'll douse them with this!"_ However, just when Tails approached the egg mobile, he circled around. He began going faster and faster, making Robotnik dizzy. "Ack! Trying the same trick all those months ago, heh? Well, it won't work!" Robotnik prepared his gun to spin around; at that speed and direction, he would just need a continuous stream of acid to nail them.

"Now, Sonic!"

Tails threw Sonic into the egg mobile, faster than he could on his own. The momentum was enough to not only scratch the egg mobile, but for him to burrow completely through it!

"NO!" Robotnik cried as he saw the meters on his control panel spin out of control. Then, a large explosion rocked the immediate area…

* * *

"Say goodbye, Alchemist!" Edward began another transmutation, but even he knew it was too late to protect himself against a weapon that traveled the speed of light.

Suddenly, a fast projectile ran into Snively's egg mobile, sending it careening like a hockey puck. Snively's egg mobile hit a column just as the beam finally went off point blank into a steel pole. As a result, the ship's engine exploded, sending its pilot flying into the air. Ed turned back to see what exactly hit him. "Al! Your timing is impeccable!" he smiled appreciatively.

Alphonse seemed to have some kind of rocket with handle bars strapped onto his back. "Sally actually let me see the blue prints for some of the tech this world has. It was simple putting the parts together; controlling it was another matter. I was flying in circles forever before I could point it towards you! If I had a body, I would've puked back up there!"

"Well, what's important is that you're here. Come on; we've got to get that disorganisero ore before we attract any more trouble." Ed pointed to the citadel behind him.

Snively seemed to come back to his senses, and stood. Though he was shaky, he managed to pull out a strange pistol and aimed it at them. His teeth clenched with fury. "You…fools…you will…pay…for making a fool…out of SNIVELY THE GREAT!" he bellowed once more in a vain attempt to regain some dignity.

The two brothers looked back behind them, rolling their eyes. "Look, just back off." Ed groaned. "Your little thinga-majig is gone, and even with that pea-shooter, there's no way you can…" Then Ed noticed something that shocked him. His shock soon became laughter, which grew more maniacal by the second.

Snively could only stare at him in fear. He tried his best not to, but he couldn't keep himself from trembling. Laughter like that was always a bad thing. "What's so funny!" Snively tried to sound infuriated, but even he could tell that it came out more as a squeak.

"FINALLY!" Ed shouted ecstatically.

"Brother…?" Al began to ask.

"AFTER ALL THIS TIME, AN ENEMY WHO IS SHORTER THAN ME!" His mouth practically morphed into a more demonic form with a snake-like tongue. "MWHAHAHAHA! I CANNOT WAIT TO TAKE THE PAIN OF BEING SMALL OUT ON YOU!"

Ed charged before Al could pull him back. Snively only aimed the ray gun closer to his target. He began to hiss "Die, you cocky-"

Before Snively could pull the trigger, his nose met Ed's foot and was sent flying! "HAHAHAHA! NOW I SEE WHY PICKING ON LITTLE GUYS IS SO FUN!" Ed turned to a fit of giggles.

Al was quite saddened to see Ed become a bully, but then again, that was probably nothing compared to what Snively did.

"Ed, stop!" Al continued to protest. "We need to-"

"YOU!" Snively screamed. "I have just about had enough-"

Ed body slammed him and locked him in a headlock. He then proceeded to noogie the poor overlander. "Hehehe…I could do this all day…"

"Ow! Ow! Mercy, please!" His pleas went unheeded, as Ed continued to torment him with various physical techniques. Everything from an elbow drop to suplexes he saw in wrestling, Ed tortured Snively in a way that Alphonse had never seen before.

"Say Uncle!" Ed screamed, cackling evilly as he got Snively in a knee-bar.

"OW! OW! OK, I GIVE! UNCLE!" Snively smacked the floor, trying to communicate his surrender.

Unfortunately for him, Ed wasn't the forgiving type. "NOT LOUD ENOUGH!"

"Brother, ENOUGH! We have to find the disorganisero ore!" Al yelled at his brother (although a part of him did enjoy the show).

Ed looked back at him, and smacked his head. "Oh yeah." He muttered. He walked over and picked Snively up by the collar. "So, you think you can take us to that ore?"

Snively snapped out of his daze and just looked at him curiously. "The ore? What in the world could you possibly want with it?"

"None of your business. Just tell me where it is."

Snively's face then contorted into a malicious grin. "OH…I get it now. You want to help those filthy vermin-"

Ed suddenly spun Snively around and began to twist his arm. "You don't know when to quit, do you?" he growled.

"OW! OW! OKAY, I'll TALK!" Ed released him, but made sure he wouldn't try anything funny. "The Disorganisero is located within the citadel, near the war room. I don't know exactly where, Uncle Julian never tells me these sorts of things." He then thought "A smart move on his part. If I knew…"

"Take us there. And no funny business." Ed ordered him.

"Yes, yes, of course." Snively led the way, wary of the tight grip of Ed's automail arm.

* * *

It wasn't smooth going to the control panel for the Freedom Fighters. Swatbot patrols seemed to double the further they went. They could take on 1 squad of bots, but a whole army was out of the question. Sally wouldn't have been surprised if some Combots were around as well. God, she hated those things.

"Any ideas on what ta do, Sally Girl?" Bunnie asked her friend.

Sally scratched her head. "Well, if Sonic were here…" She stopped herself. No, not an option. No one with her was nearly as fast as Sonic, and she wouldn't risk anyone getting captured. St. John brought up the idea of using his crossbow to shimmy their way over the robots, but even they were smart enough to look up every now and then. If they spotted them, the way down would be quite painful.

As she was brainstorming, a gloved and torn hand grabbed her wrist. Sally instinctively put the person in a jujitsu lock, only to find Sonic hiss at the sensation of his arm being twisted. "Sonic! Oh no, you look awful! What happened to you…!"

Sonic had burns and scratches all over him, not to mention he looked like he was in a lot of pain. Judging by his breathing, it seemed he was exhausted to; something that almost never happened. "Robotnik…" Sonic panted. It seemed he really pushed himself against the doctor.

"_What could Robotnik have created to hurt Sonic so terribly?"_ Sally worried. "What did he-?"

"Tails." Sonic interrupted her. "He got Tails…"

Sally placed her hands over her mouth. "We've got to…!"

Geoffrey placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, luv; I got this one."

Sally politely pushed his hand down. "No, that's okay. You can do it, I'm sure. But Tails needs Sonic and I. And the rest of us need you."

"I can't agree to that luv; you could put yourself in danger." St. John protested. " And besides, who will operate Nichole?"

"I've got it covered." Rotor volunteered. "Sally would have needed my help anyway, even with Nichole on the control console. We can split up without compromising the mission."

St. John sighed. "Is there anything I can do to convince you to let me go in your place?"

Sally stroked his fur and smiled. "Sorry; you know me."

St. John sighed, and relented, giving her a brief bow. "Very well; as you command." St. John then looked at Sonic sternly, but not with contempt. He knew better than to let a rivalry get out of hand, especially if it put someone's life in jeopardy. "You better take good care of the Princess! You got me, mate?"

"Yeah…" Sonic panted, giving him a brief salute. "…sure thing, buddy."

With that, Sonic and Sally took off. St. John felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Somethin' the matter, St. John?" Bunnie asked.

St. John waved her off. "I'm sure it was nothn'. Come on; we best get this over with. Rotor, mate, lead the way."

* * *

"Do it." Ed pushed Snively in front of him, earning a grunt from the small overlander.

"Pushover." Snively typed the code in, and the door swung open. "This way." He gestured.

Ed and Al followed him down the corridor, looking around. It was all like a giant factory, with technology their world was probably centuries away from developing. "This Robotnik guy sure does like machines." Ed noted. _"I'm glad Winry didn't come with us; I'd hate to imagine how much this would complicate things…"_ Ed then pictured her throwing herself at Robotnik with all kinds of scenarios; apprentice, henchmen, even… Ed stopped right there. _"Ew. No. Do NOT go there."_ He noted to himself in disgust.

Ed was brought out of his thoughts when a laser passed him less than an inch away from his head. "Damn!"

Ed, Al, and even Snively ducked as close to the walls as possible, trying to hide from the high-tech onslaught. **"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"** A group of swatbots marched towards them, prepared to do their master's bidding.

Ed grabbed Snively by the collar, growling "You little sneak! I thought you cleared the way for us!"

"I-I did! But the Swatbots here are under Dr. Robotnik's control before mine! They'll probably sacrifice me before letting the two of you in!"

Ed groaned and face palmed himself. "Of course. Evil mad dictator indeed." He called to his brother "Hey Al! Those things aren't roboticized mobians, are they?"

Al checked the module. "Nope! Just Buttnik's staple soldiers!" It seemed Sonic's way of talking was starting to rub off on him.

"All right then!" Ed then pointed a finger at Snively. "You! STAY HERE." Ed warned him.

"Y-Yes! Of course!" Ed only looked at him skeptically as he held up his hands in submission. _"Better safe than sorry."_ The Alchemist thought. He then pressed Snively's arm against the wall, and transmuted the later into shackles around it. "WHAT!" Snively yelled as he tried to pull his arm free.

"Sorry. Don't trust you to keep your word."

With that, Ed charged at the Swatbots. While the lasers were fast, their path was predictable by looking at the swatbots' wrists. Ed transmuted the front of his forearm into a small shield, altering the contents of the automail slightly. The lasers deflected off the arm, and Ed side kicked a swatbot onto the floor. Al pushed forward fearlessly, the lasers also deflecting off his metallic hide. He uppercutted one swatbot, and decapitated another with a back fist. Since getting in close, Ed reverted his arm back to normal and transformed it into a sword once more. He sliced one swatbot after the other; if they were too close he would kick them down. Just when Ed impaled the seemingly last robot, a whole new platoon charged and fired.

"Jeez! There's no end to them!" Ed quickly erected a wall between them and the swatbots before they could fry him. This was only a temporary solution, however; the swatbots would probably be able to push down the wall if they got closer. Ed thought quickly, and looked at the power lines above. "Al…I hate to admit it, but I'm going to need your help with a little something that does not involve alchemy."

Al understood, and placed his palms forward. Ed ran, jumped on them, and Al hurled him towards the ceiling. "I really don't like copying Scar, but I have to admit destruction does come in handy!" Ed began a transmutation reaction on the power cords, but they did not reconstruct into something else. Instead, the power cords exploded, and a series of other explosions around the building followed. With that, the main lights went out, and the only things to light the way were flames.

"**Halt attackers! Priority one!"** a mechanical voice called.

"They're still alive!" Al exclaimed in shock.

"I guess being made up of oil and gears has its advantages." Ed murmured. The swatbots came closer into view, and Ed was relieved to see they did not escape unscathed. Most of them had gaping holes exposing their circuitry. And that gave him an idea. "Al…what's below the first floor here?"

Al quickly checked the module. "Uh…it seems to be the sewers!"

"Perfect!" Ed transmuted the floor into a cannon, similar to what he used when Bald took that train hostage years ago. "I hope for your sakes you don't have any sense of smell…because I'm going to regret this in a second!" He pushed the lever, and the contents of the waste below sprayed forth. The swatbots, having their circuitry exposed, short-circuited and finally went down.

Ed fanned the air around him as he observed his work. "Gross! At least that did the trick!" Ed gagged as he stumbled back to Snively.

He released his bonds, and Snively rubbed his small arm. "Did you have to make them so tight!" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I think I did." Ed replied stoically. "You ready, Al?"

"Just a minute! It's dark here!" Al stumbled towards the wrecked swatbots. "Let's see…" Al tapped the swatbots, inspecting their architecture. "Okay. There should be just enough silicon for glass…" He then placed some in a pile, and drew a transmutation circle around them. "This should help!" He then transmuted what he gathered into a lantern, complete with a flame inside.

"Good thinking, Al!" Ed commented.

Snively, however, was not impressed. "Pfft! All that power, and you can't make a simple flashlight?"

Ed kicked him in the shins from behind. "Shut up! You're not in any position to chide us!" Ed grabbed his collar and pushed him forward. "Now, I believe you were leading us to the war room, right?"

Snively growled "Yes, yes. As you command. It will take a while though; your brilliant plan of attack against the swatbots involved cutting off the power! The war room should still be functioning; the backup generators will take over function of anything essential. But our elevators won't be working now. I hope you're as fast as Sonic, because otherwise, this is going to take a long, long time."

Ed nearly smacked himself with his automail arm. They didn't have that kind of time to go up more stories than any building in Central they've been to. _"There has to be a way…"_ But what? Super speed? No, only Sonic could do that. Creating stairs. No, that's the problem in the first place. "Aww, my head's about to explode…wait, that's it!"

He grabbed the module from Al, and looked at it. "Al, I need you to clear holes in the ceiling for several floors. Right about…" He then pointed to a spot within the corridor. "…there. Make sure the explosion is really, really big."

Al, understanding what Ed was about to do, then said "Such an explosion is more likely to take us out. Which means…a funnel is in order…"

Al and Ed got to work gathering the necessary materials for a powerful explosive…

* * *

St. John and the Freedom Fighters finally reached the control console. One swatbot was guarding it, but St. John easily took it out with a scrambler arrow. "Rotor, get to the control console, quickly! There'll be another bot sooner or later!"

He then pointed to Antoine and Bunnie. "You two! Be on the look out!"

Bunnie and Antoine did as they were told, with Antoine muttering "Who died and made heem king of zee world?" St. John pretended he didn't hear that.

Rotor got to work with Nichole as he hooked her up to an outlet on the console. "So, how long to destroy this thing?" St. John asked.

Rotor groaned as he rubbed his head. "It's not good. Robotnik upgraded his encryption programs, and he took no chances; something of that tall an order will likely take a few hours with all this crap."

Acknowledging it was not Rotor's fault, he asked "Is there anything you can do at the moment?"

Rotor replied "I can at least slow it down, and make a bunch of other things go haywire once this thing launches…"

"Do it." St. John ordered him.

Rotor typed in the command. In a minute, Nichole replied **"Virus uploaded, Rotor." **

"Excellent, Nichole. Sally would be proud if she were here…"

On her mention, St. John was reminded how uneasy he felt about letting Sally go with Sonic. Despite his taunts, Sonic could take care of himself, and Sally was a smart girl. So why did he feel that he made a terrible mistake in letting them both go?

"Ah just can't believe that Buttnik actually managed to hurt sugah-hog so easily!" St. John overheard Bunnie talk to Antoine.

Idle chat during a mission usually lead to severe consequences on the field. He was about to go straighten them out, but the next statement stopped him cold. "He was even friendly to St. John here! That must'a been some machine!"

St. John then realized what was bothering him! Sonic was way too polite and subdued to all of them, him especially! That could only mean one thing: He was an imposter! "Damn it! I should have realized that something was wrong! Rotor, take control of the console! If for any reason you have to leave, do it!"

With that, St. John rushed passed Bunnie and Antoine, leaving them in bewilderment. "Now, what do ya think that was all about?" Bunnie asked, not having the epiphany that St. John did.

* * *

Sally hefted Sonic over her shoulder as they proceeded through the city. "Are you feeling any better?" Sally asked, clearly concerned.

Sonic nodded no. "Sorry, princess. Robotnik managed to get me good. Uggh!"

Sonic collapsed to one knee, and Sally caught him before he could fall face first. "Sonic!"

"Don't worry about me your highness; I'll be fine. We have to look for Miles." Sonic wheezed.

"Right." Sally nodded. "Which way?"

"There." Sonic pointed to a run-down factory. Sally took a look at the building, and then at Sonic skeptically. "Please, Princess; I saw them go in there. I swear."

Sally nodded. "Okay. Let's go. I'm sorry I doubted you. This…this isn't usually Robotnik's style is all." With that, they went inside.

Sally kicked open a rusted metal door, and as expected, nothing, not even swatbots, were inside. "Sonic? There's nothing here…"

Then, she heard Sonic barricade the door behind them. He then flipped a switch on a cobweb-filled panel, causing shutters to descend and block the windows. The hedgehog then branded a laser pistol hidden beneath his quills, giving Sally an evil look. "You are just too kind hearted, little princess. I'll be sure you get to see that little fox brat…in hell." "Sonic" expected to see her face contort with fear and anguish. However, Sally's face slowly turned into a sly smile. "Huh? Don't you get what's going to happen? I'm about to splatter your brains all over the freaking ground, and there's not a thing you can do to escape!"

"Hmm…I doubt that for two reasons." Sally replied calmly.

"And what would those reasons be!" Sonic replied, more furious than Sally ever remembered him seeing.

"One: the Sonic I know would never, EVER betray his friends, least of all me. I believed that once, and I never will again."

"Well, apparently you don't know me too well then." Sonic hissed.

"You haven't let me finished; second…I knew you weren't Sonic from the get-go." Sally then flipped a switch in her vest pocket. It triggered an electrical charge Sally had placed on him while she was supporting him, causing him to scream in pain in a voice that wasn't his. As it continued, Sonic transformed into an androgynous overlander with green hair.

"Just as I thought: Envy, the shape-shifter." Sally stated.

"How…how did you know it was me?" Envy wheezed as he tried to recover from the shock. Even for a homunculus, a hard task; getting electrocuted did more than cause mere pain. Were he human, that could have caused permanent damage.

"Three things gave you away; first, I doubt Robotnik could beat Sonic, at least as badly as you made it appear. Second, you were way too polite; even in defeat, Sonic has always been snarky and crude. And lastly, you gave yourself away too soon. If you were more focused on doing your job and blew my head off while you had the chance instead of trying to drown me in despair before you pulled the trigger…well, you get the point."

Envy finally managed to stand. "Clever little rat." He snarled. "But you made one mistake; you separated yourself from your friends. I've read enough about you; on your own, you've got no chance…"

"If I allowed the others to come with me, they would most likely get hurt as well. And if we fought in the hangar, win or lose, the swatbots would catch us. So you see, for the sake of our mission, I couldn't let you interfere."

Envy then cackled sinisterly. "Well then, I'll reward your friends by putting your corpse over a frying pan after I'm done with you! I'll make sure to preserve the look on your face before you die for them…"

Sally crouched back, and reached into her pocket. "Then come and get me, IF you can."

* * *

An explosion rocked the citadel. While the alarms blared, no bot would be able to pinpoint and prevent the cause. For the ones who caused it were going up, and fast. Inside what seemed to be a giant metal nail with a glass base, Al shielded his brother from the G-forces and heat, while Snively was left to fend for himself. As a result, he was pancaked to the platform the brothers had transmutated into their launching pad and felt himself getting hot. "Hang on, Ed!" Al shouted.

Soon, they felt the speed begin to slow. "Everyone, jump!" Ed yelled. Everyone leaped out of the glass and got off in the nick of time, as the platform began to descend down and crash. Ed gripped his heart, hyperventilating. "Let's…never…do that…AGAIN!"

"You said it." Al moaned. "Sometimes not having a body has its benefits."

With that, the Elric brothers looked around the war room. "Jeez. I haven't even met this Robotnik guy and already his room is giving me the creeps." Ed then noticed a circular platform. Walking up close to it, he inspected it and remembered what Sally had showed him via Nichole. "This is the Roboticizer, isn't it?"

Snively hesitated at first, but remembering he was a potential hostage, quickly replied. "Y-yes, yes! I take it you know of its function?"

"All too well." Ed growled, and turned back to him, looking enraged. "You realize that you've been driving an entire race to slavery, if not extinction!"

"You can blame my Uncle Julian for that!" Snively defended himself. "Initially, he allowed everyone to remain organic beings as long as they followed his ridiculous rules, but too many broke them, whether by accident or purpose. When they became too difficult to enforce, he decided to roboticize everyone!"

"But you had no problem helping him, didn't you!" Al shouted, as Snively stumbled against his imposing presence and crawled away like the coward he was.

Ed, for once acting calm and collected, stopped his younger sibling from getting physical on the little man. "It's not worth it, Al! Guys who do this for a living aren't likely to change their ways. Besides, we have to find the disorganisero!"Ed then looked at Snively, who immediately understood the unspoken question.

"I don't know." Snively stated.

"WHADDYA MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW!" Ed screamed, raising his fist. "You help him operate this stupid thing, don't ya!"

"Just the basics!" Snively protested. "The invention wasn't even his originally! Only he knows all there is to know about the roboticizer!"

"That's right…" Ed snarled, remembering Uncle Chuck's story. "He stole it."

The Elrics looked around the room, trying to get an idea of where the disorganisero might be. Ed hoped the room might tell him something about Robotnik's personality, and from there allow him to deduce where to find the ore. Unfortunately, their observations only told them one thing; Robotnik was sick, twisted and evil. "This is going nowhere." Ed muttered.

Ed then looked at the giant computer. Sally told him briefly about the strange but fascinating inventions; he would have to get blueprints of one and see if Winry could reverse engineer one. They were able to project images, record data, execute commands…wait a minute… "Hey, that's a computer, right?"

"Of course it is, you neanderthal!" Snively exclaimed. "I can't imagine what threat you would be to our empire if you don't understand basic machinery!"

For once, Ed chose to ignore the insult. "You're right; I don't know a lot about or understand the technology here. But in order for that thing to execute proper commands, it needs a source of transmission. I bet it works much like a radio or telephone pole…"

"What are you getting at?" Snively asked, perplexed where Ed's theory was going.

Before he could respond, Al did it for him. "Wires. It will probably have many, but one of them should lead to the disorganisero…"

"Right. It's going to take time though. Remember, it can't be farther than a hundred yards in either direction… and it should be right below us…" Ed looked around at the messy desk for materials to use, and gathered some plastic. With that, he transmuted them into 2 tape measures. "Here." Ed tossed his brother one of the tape measures. "We'll have to split up." Ed then tossed him one of their chalks; they came in handy in the event Ed couldn't transmute directly, and now they were going to be used for a different purpose. "Use this to mark your trail, so we don't wind up going down dead ends without even knowing it. When you think you found something, knock as hard as you can against the wall, three times."

Snively sneered. "Ingenious. Maybe while you're at it, you can write messages on the walls and hope for someone to pick you up…"

Ed growled clenching his fists. "Enough!" He transmuted the floor to ensnare Snively, and made sure to arrange the metallic coils to gag him on top of that. "One more peep out of you, and we'll find a different way to signal to one another by making you scream!" Snively only gave out a muffled eep and began sweating. "You ready Al?" Ed asked.

"Yeah!"

The two brothers grabbed the console, and began to pull. With some effort, the computer came off the wall, the wires still sticking out. Ed knocked to get a feeling of its atomic weight. "Aluminum, I think." He transmuted the wall into a large door, which Al opened. Ed went in first, and surveyed the paths they would have to take. "It'll be a tight fit, but I think you can make it through here." Ed pointed to a rather large vent. "You take this one, and I'll take the other." Al climbed in and squeezed through, while Ed made his way through another vent. _"We better hurry…"_ he thought. _"…we most certainly attracted some kind of attention, and I don't think we can take our time…"_

* * *

A red shoe emerged from a pile of junk, right next to the chemical waste. Finally, Sonic emerged. "God damn, what is buttnik putting into his reactors these days?" The explosion from destroying Robotnik's egg mobile was stronger than usual. It caught Sonic off guard, knocking him unconscious. At least he and Tails were…

"Tails!" He suddenly remembered. Quickly, he dug through the junk, catching Tails' prone form. "Tails!" he shouted. When he didn't respond, he shook his young friend. "Tails! Wake up, buddy!"

Tails coughed, and slowly came to. "Sonic?"

Sonic helped him up to his feet. Sonic felt around the fox's temple and checked his body as well; he was dazed, but there was no apparent serious injury. "You're okay. That blast…sorry, little buddy. Didn't see it comn'."

Tails finally shook the cobwebs out of his head, and patted the dust off of him. "What now?"

"Crap!" Sonic said. "Our friends needed our help, and not only did Robuttnik serve as a nice road block, but he made us take a nap on top of that!" He then observed their surroundings. "We're at the end of the plant! We'll just have to continue from here and hope for the best! And Ed better get that ore from buttnik! That'll at least distract him. Ready to juice like crazy, Tails?"

Tails immediately spun his tails and hovered in the air. "Ready whenever you are!"

"Good! Do it to it, and pronto!" Both mobians took off at incredible speed, even in more of a rush than before.

* * *

In another pile of rubble some distance away from where Sonic and Tails had been buried, a Robotic hand emerged. Robotnik, covered in the filth he always neglected to clean up (some would say on purpose) shook himself off. "Ohh…how I hate that hedgehog…" At least he didn't foil a major scheme; not yet anyway. Best to take care of the problem before it started.

He then pressed the communicator to Snively on his arm. "Snively! Signal a pod to pick me up! We're launching the Flying Battery now!" No response. "Snively, you twit! Have you gone deaf as well as dumb! You better pick up now, or I'll make sure you'll go blind through terror as well!" Typing a few buttons on his arm, he found out the citadel was running on reserve power. "Confounded nitwit! Why do I have to do all the work around here!"

He then pressed another button, sending a signal to any nearby pods flying in the area. Too long to his liking, one finally came and touched down to pick him up. The door opened up, and he helped himself inside. "Swatbots, report! What is the situation at the command centerl!"

"**We cannot confirm, Lord Ivo Robotnik. Surveillance shows a blonde-haired overlander, with another unknown creature in armor. Snively was coerced into letting them inside. Other swatbots cannot access the other floors, but are working on it. No further details beyond that." **

Robotnik growled. "Show me."

The swatbots brought up the last of the footage they had from the citadel. Robotnik saw that it was indeed the Fullmetal Alchemist who broke into his command center. There wasn't much to go on; only a few seconds of footage before the power was cut. However, Robotnik did see something that could prove useful. The alchemist was able to change the materials around him into any form he wished. How, he didn't know. But, for a reason he couldn't understand, it intrigued him. It seemed that whenever the alchemist changed anything, he altered its shape, but not its overall composition. That meant it was no form of magic, but science; meaning it was a discipline he could learn. _"Hmm…perhaps Lust was right. Perhaps their alchemy could prove quite useful to me after all."_

He then changed his attention back to his escorts. "Hurry, you nitwits! There's no telling what damage they could be doing!"

"**As you command." **

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Robotnik couldn't help but smile. He had a feeling that this encounter just might bear fruit.

* * *

I hope this update satisfied you all! Coming up next, the Elrics meet Robotnik, and a few other villains from the Sonic Universe will be making appearances. Until then, stay well, and enjoy!


	7. Chaos Explosion

Hey everyone! Thanks for waiting patiently for this next chapter! There's not much else I can say except that you'll be given a preview here of what other characters from Mobius will become part of this adventure, and a few encounters long overdue will be settled here. But why am I telling you this when you want to read the chapter? I'm not sure myself.

Disclaimer: I don't own jack. Or Enerjak for that matter.

* * *

It was all Enerjak could do just to keep up a protective force field and air bubble. If he lost focus for one second…well, he wouldn't die. As a living chaos emerald, nothing could destroy him. But he could still pass out from the lack of air, as well as the extremes of temperature and lack of pressure in space. His power wouldn't be much help if he was permanently comatose in space. It would also be extremely painful if it didn't render him unconscious quickly. And because of the immense concentration required just to keep everything together, he couldn't just fly back down to Mobius on a whim. His only option was to bide his time, and hope that the citadel would be pulled back down to Mobius. Or…hope for someone to find him. Very unlikely; very few have managed to put together enough power to escape the planet's gravity. Not even during the echidna civilization's peak was space travel easy. But there was no point in thinking of all this right now. All he could do was hold on, and use his rage to motivate him, to keep him from giving up. _"Knuckles…"_ he thought, plotting revenge against his great-nephew several generations removed. _"…you will regret this. You and all your forefathers._ _I swear it…"_

* * *

In a realm known as the Zone of Silence, a void with floating rocks but no real gravity to hold them together, a strange being sat on a crystalline throne. The creature was an anthropomorphic mobian, but of what creature one could not tell; even by most Mobian standards he was strange. His head was that of a bat's, a crab's claw where his left hand should be, and a rhinoceros horn on his head. He also had a long white beard, often a trademark of stereotypical wizards. His name: Ixis Naugus, former royal magician to the Kingdom of Acorn. However, it was only a ruse; he intended to use his magic to overthrow the royal family and become King himself. However, science eventually took precedence over his magic, and the wizard resorted to starting a war between the Overlanders and Mobians so that the King would once again turn to his magic. He created the portal to the Zone of Silence to wait until the war was over and Mobius ripe for the picking. However, there was one problem: the zone was sealed on the other side, and he was unable to escape it. While in this realm he was all-powerful, there was no point in ruling a wasteland filled with demons. The only thing Naugus got out of this place was a few servants. Until he could find a way out, there was no point in observing what was going on in Mobius.

Until now.

Today, Naugus sat on his make-shift throne, bored at watching the activities of the native inhabitants of the zone, and deciding to give Mobius a look in hopes of finding something of interest.

Earlier, Naugus felt a disturbance in the magical force across dimensions. Ixis concentrated for a closer look. In his visions, he saw an overlander with blond hair. With him was what he assumed was another of his kind in armor. He managed to piece together different visions of what happened, what was happening, and what they were planning. _"If they came from another world…a portal of magical power will be necessary. If they…or Julian…succeed, I may be able to intervene…" _

Naugus then called 3 of his henchmen. They teleported in front of him instantly, kneeling before him (one reluctantly). "My minions…I believe it may finally be time for us to break through and into Mobius! Our kingdom awaits us!"

"Yes, master." two replied, one a humanoid spider covered in ninja garb, and another covered in armor with a helmet possessing devil horns.

The one that did not address their master formally, a giant lion with a giant battle axe stood. "The sooner the better; I cannot wait to split Julian's head in two." Kodos, Naugus' most reluctant and powerful soldier, was once Warlord to the King. He briefly conspired with Naugus to start the Great War so that he could take over as King. He was even the mentor to Robotnik, who ultimately betrayed him and sent him into the zone, assuming his position.

"Patience." Ixis chided him. "How we get out depends on how the 2 overlanders can execute their plans…"

Kodos snorted. "Overlanders; everywhere they go, they just make trouble." After the war and his betrayal by Robotnik, needless to say the warrior was not fond of the race.

"Agreed, but this mischief can be used to our advantage!" Ixis proclaimed. "Wait patiently; I will find a way to break the barrier between our worlds soon enough!"

His 3 subjects sat in crystalline chairs the wizard had constructed, as he began to concentrate and prepare…

* * *

In yet another dimension, a familiar hedgehog threw darts in his room. At a glance, one might think it would be Sonic himself, but that was not the case. He wore dark shades and a leather jacket, smiled with malice as opposed to mischief, and brought out the worst of the said hedgehog's faults.

He was Evil Sonic, as cliché' as that sounds. It wasn't too long ago that he thought he was the only Sonic to ever exist. Then he learned of a universe where he and his friends existed, but made completely different choices in life. There, he and his friends were the saviors of their world. Here, Sonic and his "friends" could've cared less what happened to the world, and were hell-bent on getting whatever they wanted, no matter the cost. Not only did it sicken him that there was a universe where he and his gang were good…there was a multiverse of different Sonics. And as far as he knew, he was the only "bad" one. But it was Sonic Prime he hated the most. To him, his good double represented everything he could've been, if he had a stronger heart, if he never gave up on anything. Evil Sonic suddenly launched up from his chair and spin dashed the bull's eye target to bits. "AARRGGGHHH!" he shouted in frustration. A simple game of darts would never quench his hatred. "Let's give it another go…" he thought. He and his gang came to Mobius Prime not too long ago, only to have their counterparts make them kiss dirt. But damn if he was going to let that stop him.

He stormed into the run-down lounge, where his Anti-Freedom Fighters passed the time, each a twisted double of their counterparts on Mobius Prime.

"What's gotten into you this time?" Evil Sally asked, bored as usual.

"I'm going back to the other Mobius, and you guys are coming with me!" he suddenly declared. He figured the gang would be looking forward to a rematch.

Everyone just looked at him like he was crazy instead of howling and jumping on their bikes.

"Well? What are you retards waiting for!" he demanded.

Evil Sally stood up. "For you to get it through that thick skull of yours! What do you plan once we get to Mobius Prime! One ass-kicking is enough for us, thanks."

"They took us by surprise! This time, we'll…"

"No thanks." Evil Rotor spoke up, looking disinterested as he tinkered with the wires of a new weapon. "I prefer hitting something that doesn't fight back."

Evil Sonic rushed up and slammed his fist across the walrus' face. "When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it fat-ass! And you can bet that will be never!"

"You wanna go…" Evil Sally said, hands on hips. "…then go."

Evil Sonic eyed her suspiciously. "Sounds like you're kicking me out. Need I give you a reminder? Even if you're a princess, I'm the one in charge of this gang. You so sure you really want to challenge me?"

Evil Sally responded by a quick knee to his stomach and pinning his arm. "Pretty sure." She hissed. She threw Sonic to the floor, hurting the hedgehog's pride more than anything else. "We wouldn't be in charge period if I hadn't banished Daddy-dearest to the Void. And we would have killed the doc instead of just humiliate him occasionally if you'd actually listen to me."

"And none of our schemes would've worked if it weren't for me, regardless of whose plan it was!" Evil Sonic exclaimed, pointing at himself. "You're nothing without me!"

"As far as I'm concerned…it's the same either way. Ever since you've discovered those imposters, you've been nothing but obsessed! We've accomplished nothing in this world, thanks to you!" She pointed towards the door furiously. "So get out of here, Sonic Hedgehog! Go and have whatever fun you want with your goody-two-shoes friends. I've had enough from our trip there. And…I've had enough of you." She growled.

Evil Sonic just looked at her in shock. He figured we would teach her a lesson, but then everyone stood up and surrounded him, their postures were clearly threatening, daring him to make a move so they would have an excuse to beat him up or worse. While alliances between them weren't exactly solid, Evil Sonic never expected a rebellion like this. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth...and back-handed the Evil Sally across the face.

Before the others could react, he sped out of the building. The others were about to go after him, but Evil Sally stopped them.

"Let him leave!" she shouted, rubbing her cheek while she snarled at his disappearing form. "Who needs him anyway? After all, out of all of his, he was the only one who hesitated in overthrowing everyone…" She walked up the stairs, while the rest of the anti-freedom fighters opened up the bar and began to celebrate…

* * *

Back on Mobius Prime, Sonic and Tails raced through the junkyard of Robotropolis. Thankfully, Sonic's locator watch was still working, and was able to find the others with little problem. Two were missing though; he guessed that some had to split up, and if worse came to worse, a rescue most likely would not be a problem. "Yup! Right where Sal said they would be!" Sonic and Tails went the more direct route, bypassing the swatbot guards before they could even determine the identity of the intruders. Navigating the ship inside was an arduous task, but thankfully, Sonic could complete it in a manner of seconds.

Finally, he reached the control room, where he found his friends waiting for him. "Hey, mi amigos!" Sonic greeted. "Sorry for being so late! Buttnik…"

"Sugah-hog! You got Tails back!" Bunnie exclaimed while hugging them both.

"Uh…yeah." Sonic said, confused by Bunnie's joyous behavior. "Was he supposed to have been anywhere?"

Rotor then came over to check Sonic out. He patted him all over, and the only reaction the hedgehog gave him was more confusion. "Where did your injuries go?" he asked, perplexed.

Sonic scoffed at him. "Me, get hurt by Buttnik? What are you guys smo-"

"Sacre Bleu!" Antoine suddenly exclaimed. Everyone turned to face him. "Zat iz why St. John left in ze hurry! You…weren't you!" he pointed at Sonic

Unfortunately, his poor English only caused everyone to stare at him. Sonic said "Antoine, this isn't exactly unusual, but you're not making any sense…"

"Impostear! Ze word Impostear!" He shouted, finally remembering the word on the tip of his tongue.

While the meaning this time around was clear, the response wasn't what he hoped for. "Oh." Sonic said, shrugging. "Okay, Buttnik made a duplicate of me. Big deal; he's pulled that trick before, and none of you were fooled." Everyone just looked at him in horror of the nonchalant response he made. "What?"

"Hey, where's Aunt Sally?" Tails asked, noticing one of their core members missing.

Rotor's arms went slack as he realized just how far south things went "She went with…the imposter."

Sonic and Tails just looked at Rotor with wide eyes. "Oh no…" Sonic immediately calmed himself down; Sally wasn't dumb enough to fall for a cheap imposter! She had to have lured him away on purpose! "Have you guys finished busting this ship up?" Sonic asked changing the subject.

"Yes and no." Rotor answered. "It will still take off should Buttnik come aboard. But I managed to create some nasty surprises for him."

"I guess that'll have to do." Sonic replied. "Okay, can I trust you guys to make it back to the plane on your own?"

"Sure thing, sugah hog." Bunnie nodded.

"Great. Get out of here, and get ready for take-off without us. We'll need you and Dulcy in the air should the worst happen. I'll look for Sal." He then turned to his side. "Tails! You're with me!"

"Right!" Tails exclaimed as he pumped his fist.

"I'd imagine LePew went after Sal?" Everyone nodded their head affirmatively. "He should be able to take care of himself. Just do what you must; we'll take care of the rest." With that, they split up.

* * *

Sally flipped over Envy as he tried to smash her head into the wall. Noticing the dent his fist made upon impact, Sally realized she would not be able to win in a straight out fight. _"I need to be careful! I can't risk dueling him directly!_ _I'll have to use my wits and whatever I can find to use against him!"_

Envy glared back at her, like a cat on his world would look at a mouse. "Huh…looks like the cute cuddly princess has got some moves…" Envy's arm ripped out of the wall as he got ready for another attack. "Too bad against me, it won't do you a lick of good…" He charged with a right hook, only for Sally to duck and sweep his feet, effectively tripping him and make a break for it before he could stand again. Envy snarled and got up. "Make a fool of me all you want; when I catch you, I'll make you suffer for it!" Sally immediately scaled a loose chain hanging from the ceiling. Envy was surprised at how quickly she ascended; it was probably because of her animal like traits. "Good. Trust your instincts; that's what they usually say…" He then grasped the chain. "…but in your case, it's gonna kill you!"

He yanked it down, expecting Sally to fall with it. However, as he pulled, she leaped and grabbed the chain next to hers, quickly scaling it onto the crate above. And Envy found out he pulled too hard; the chain brought the contents of the crate above with it. The box landed on top of Envy with a sickening thud, rusted metal scraps exploding across the floor.

Sally momentarily looked down in shock. Even if these homunculi were immortal, to come back from a blow like that…just then, Envy's fingers twitched. "Ohhh…" Envy slowly rose, and Sally winced at the sound of bones coming back together at an unnatural rate. "Cute." Envy growled as he creaked his neck.

Before Sally could react, he suddenly leapt onto the crate she was standing on. Sally tried to make a run for it, but Envy grabbed her by the neck, and hoisted her off the box. Sally tried kicking his arm, but Envy proved too strong; he didn't even seem to feel her blows. "I'd very much like to kill you and have your corpse roasting over a fire for your friends to see. But, the good doctor wants you alive; to lure your friends of course. Which means I'll have to do something for a little extra shock value. So, how should I horrify your friends?" As he tightened his grip, Sally felt herself drifting away into unconsciousness. "Asphyxiation is too risky; you look like you're about to die right now." Envy looked down, and grinned maniacally. He then held her right above the edge of the box, with the ground floor waiting below. "I think having both your legs broken will do; I'd imagine he would like that too." Then, with all her strength, Sally pried Envy's fingers just enough…and bit down hard.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" While he dropped Sally to tend to his hand, she was free to latch onto the box with her short claws before falling to the ground below. "I guess I should have figured you'd fight back like a real animal." Envy growled as he blew his hand.

Before he could run over and grab her, Sally leaped off the box, and grabbed a rail from the stairwell below. "Ughn!" The way down nearly dislocated her arm, but she was safe for another second; that was all that mattered. She ran down the rail as Envy leapt to pursue her. Envy lunged for her, but Sally scratched his eyes before he could get his arms around her. Envy cried in pain, and swatted her off the rail. Sally had the wind knocked out her; whether by Envy's blow or the fall, she wasn't sure.

"As soon as I get the okay…" Envy leapt off and pinned his foot on her stomach, causing her to scream. "You're very full of energy, you know that? I think I'll puncture a lung or two. Can't move around much if you can't breathe properly."

It seemed to happen in slow motion for Sally as Envy reached down to do what he just said. _"Think! Think!"_ she reminded herself. _"There has to be a tool I've got for stopping this monster!..."_

* * *

As Ed worked his way within the vent's tunnels, he kept feeling the metal around him to signal that he reached his goal. "It's supposed to be made up of titanium…so far none of these walls feel light nor strong enough for that…" If Robotnik intended to hide the disorganizaro, he was doing a damn good job so far. "This is a freakn' maze…" Ed then felt his rope tug. "End of the line; I'll have to go back and find another way…"

As Ed made his way back to the last fork in the road he encountered, a thought occurred to him. "If I were a madman with an item to help me enslave people…I would keep it where no one would suspect…" Ed thought about this logically. "It can't be any more than 100 feet away from the roboticizer…" Ed groaned. "That one clue isn't getting me anywhere; he could have placed it anywhere in this complex." Ed sighed. "If only he was kind enough to leave a red marker some-"

Ed's mind just froze as he remembered something. Most of the wires behind the console dispersed in various directions. However, one went straight down. Ed didn't think much of it at the time, but now…"Of course. To hide something from the enemy, sometimes it's best to put it in the most obvious place." Ed immediately made his way back to where they started. _"I've got to hurry; that Robotnik guy could be back here any minute…"_

* * *

Geoffrey St. John stopped as he knelt down to observe the tracks, left behind by Sally and the imposter. After a good distance away from the construction site, they began to be smeared away by something. "Whoever the imposter is, he had help covering his tracks." Just then, a heard a familiar whistle that grew louder quickly. _"It's him! Or…"_

Sonic and Tails stopped right in front of him. Though Sonic and St. John were far from the best of friends, the hedgehog stepped back in surprise when the skunk pointed his crossbow at them. "Whoa! Chill, dude! We're on the same side, remember?" St. John only stared him down, refusing to lower his weapon. "Are you trying to be a bigger asshole than usual?" Sonic asked sarcastically in response. "Because so far you're doing a way past good job on that."

St. John finally lowered his weapon. "The imposter was too nice." He said, convinced that he was looking at the real deal. "Anyway, glad you're both here. Take a look."

Sonic and Tails looked down to see the footprints left behind by Sally…and what seemed to Sonic, judging by the impressions left in the muck. "They've covered it up." Sonic said, noting how the tracks were seemingly smeared with the mud. "Any ideas on where to look?"

St. John sighed. "Yeah. Lots. And we don't have that kind of time. We'll need to split up, find some likely locations where she could have been led. I'll take a chance and follow the direction where the tracks led up until now. You two check out any other places from here that you can think of; as much as I hate to admit it, you two are faster than me and have a better chance of finding her. We'll meet back at the-"

"AHHHHHHH!" a voice screamed somewhere in the distance.

The three mobians looked northwest of where they were. "Looks like that won't be necessary." Sonic muttered. He quickly sped in the direction of the scream, Tails close behind.

St. John groaned "I hate it when he steals my thunder; especially when he's justified in doing it." With that said, he trailed behind them, the best he possibly could.

* * *

Sally desperately searched the ground for a weapon as Envy stuck out two fingers, preparing to assault her with a major puncture wound. All she could come up with to defend herself were a few pebbles. _"It's no use…"_ Sally's mind thought as she began to fade into unconsciousness. _"…none of the rocks here are big enough. My phraser won't affect its metallic hide…" _

Sally's eyes snapped wide open in realization. _"Idiot! I'm so used to fighting robots…I haven't even thought of using that!" _Her phraser was good for cutting metal, but could not do so in an offensive manner; it was better for cutting escape routes through buildings, so she didn't use it often in direct combat. But in this case, it was perfect as a weapon. _"Only one chance…"_

Sally rummaged through her vest pocket. Envy only cackled as he prepared to cripple the princess. "HAHAHA! This reminds me so much of playing with little rats! They can do nothing but squirm once you cripple them , doing anything they can to get away…only for nothing to work!" Suddenly, Sally pointed an object at him. It looked like a small tube with some kind of switch. Envy only looked at it skeptically. "Hmph! Like that piece of scrap will do you any good! Watcha gonna do, shine a light in my eye?"

Suddenly, a bright red light shone…and the next thing he knew, Envy felt his eye and part of his skull burn to a crisp. Even with the knowledge that it wouldn't kill him, the pain was excruciating! "AHHHH!"

Envy released Sally as he gripped his face, howling in pain. Sally coughed for gasps of air, but fought the instinct to lie down. She had only one chance to win; she would not get another opportunity if she let it slide by. Quickly, she aimed her phraser at the chain holding a crate right above Envy. It would take a few seconds, and she could only hope the chain wasn't too thick. "Come on, come on…" Sally muttered.

Soon, Envy stopped squirming. "You really wounded me…" Envy finally released the half of his face that was scorched, and Sally had to fight a sudden urge to regurgitate as she saw Envy's tissues regenerate. "…I'll give you that." Envy growled as muscle began to cover his skull. "But nothing you can do can kill me…all you've done is insure that I'll make you wish I killed you…"

"Even if I could, I wouldn't want to." Sally told him. "I only used that against you precisely because it wouldn't kill you. But it can also be used like…THIS!"

The chain finally, broke, and Envy could only look up in surprise as the large crate began to fall on top of him. "Uh oh." Being the biggest out of all the boxes in the warehouse, it landed on the homunculus with a sickening crash; it must have carried at least 600 pounds worth of metallic components inside, judging by the large cogs and pipes.

Knowing not even that would kill him, Sally made a break for it. Not wanting to take time to unbolt the door, she ran up the wall, and crashed through the window. Sally quickly rolled to break her fall and to avoid getting cut by the shards of glass.

Sally was about to sprint across the street, but something stood in her path. "You-!"

* * *

Edward made his way back to their starting point. And once he got there, there it was: the red wire he overlooked. "Bingo." Putting his light closer to the wall, he found a message on it. Written by Al, using Alchemy. "_**Brother, in case you're as lost as I am, check right here.**_ _**There's some kind of passage, but I don't think I'll be able to fit; if you think something worthwhile is here, and you're as lost as I am, look into it."**_ Ed grinned_. "Way ahead of you Al."_

After determining the contents of the metal, he transmuted a door out of it. Opening it, he lowered his lantern into the space. All he could see was a steep drop below. "This must be it. It would be dangerous for even Mobian spies to climb down. Where else would he hide the key component to his machine?" He did another transmutation, this time on the floor he was resting on. A pipe extended below, plunging into the darkness. Ed had to be conservative in how far he stretched the pipe; too long and he might damage something important down below. Not to mention if it was too thin, he risked having the thing snap, and he would take a plunge of who knows how long. _"25 meters should do it."_ He stopped the transmutation and mounted the pipe. Carefully gripping his lantern with one hand, and hanging on for dear life on the other, Ed slid down slowly as he could. It seemed to go on forever; Ed was almost too scared to go any further.

Finally, he seemed to have reached the bottom. "There should be about another 8 meters left; it can't be far." He stuck his foot down cautiously, to find that he was touching the floor. No longer afraid of falling, he dismounted the pipe and scanned the immediate area around him. It was a close space; probably only enough room for him to take one step. "Damn." Ed was about to find a way to head back up, when something caught his eye. Upon closer inspection, he realized there was a space in the wall in front of him, where all the pipes converged. Looking behind him, he could see the wire and several others directly behind him travel into the pipes. _"Can I fit?"_ Ed felt the space between; it was going to be a tight squeeze. It didn't look like he would be able to fit with the lantern; a problem if he was going to grope in the dark. Looking inside, he noticed a light ahead. At first, it looked red…then white…then the light ahead of him once more changed to blue. Whatever it was, it seemed to be changing color constantly. _"Could that be it!" _

Ed quickly squeezed himself in and rushed towards the source. It was fairly dark, but the closer he got, the more he could see. Soon, he found himself in front of a medium-sized rock situated in the center of 3 prongs. Ed was transfixed by the beauty of the light it emitted, but then noticed something on his cheek. In felt like…metal. Ed quickly scratched at his skin, feeling for what seemed to be a small piece of metal, no thicker than his skin. After a quick inspection, he stared at what he pulled off. Not only was the thin film of metal attached to his skin, he was bleeding slightly from peeling it off. Looking at the rock, Ed knew there was only one possible explanation. _"There's no doubt about it!"_ Ed thought. _"This is it! The Disorganizero!"_

* * *

"Sonic! Thank goodness you're alright!" Sally exclaimed.

Sally hugged the real blue hedgehog, who hugged her back. "Same to you, Sal. But why would you take such a risk?" He asked, almost upset. St. John looked a bit miffed as well; Tails was just glad to see Sally again.

"Envy was about to jeopardize the mission." Sally stated. "I had to get him away from the others."

St. John interrupted. "Princess…while I don't question your judgment on the matter, you know I volunteered to go in your place." St. John said sternly.

Suddenly, a voice from the warehouse yelled "WHERE IS THAT LITTLE FOREST B-"

Sally quickly covered Tails ears before he could hear the whole thing. "We can discuss it later!" Sally said. "We have to get out of here! Now!"

Quickly, Sally leapt into Sonic's arms, and he took off, with Tails following. St. John shot a grappling arrow up on a roof and quickly scaled the building he chose.

"So…" Sonic asked as he weaved between the streets and alleys. "You guys beat those things Ed was talking about?"

Sally said "No luck. They can regenerate from anything, just like Ed said. We should still have a few tools of our immobilizing arsenal, but they can break out of it! We'll need to regroup, and come up with a plan…"

Suddenly, the two heard Tails behind them scream "Help!"

Sonic screeched to a halt as he turned around, and both stared in horror. They found Tails entangled in long claws. Thankfully, none of them pierced his skin, but that was of little comfort to the older freedom fighters.

Tails was suddenly yanked to the top of the buildings, where Lust and Gluttony stood . "Well well. You are a clever one, aren't you? While I imagined you would have saw through Envy's ruse eventually, I never expected you to know from the start and be able to take him on. I guess we owe the good doctor an apology; your kind is quite troublesome, despite your cuddly appearances."

Sonic only clenched his fists and growled. "Give him back, you freaks!"

Lust only handed Tails to Gluttony, who opened his mouth wide. It looked like he was about to bite down, but Lust pinched his ear before he could eat the boy. "Hold on Gluttony. Let's see if they'll take our deal."

"We'd make no such deal with the likes of you!" Sally shouted.

"Cliché much, don't you think?" Lust jabbed back. "You know what happens to anything you put in this thing's mouth." She patted Gluttony on the back, which elicited a low chuckle from him. Tails struggled to get out, but Gluttony only tightened his hold. "As you can imagine, if you don't agree to our deal…well, we've discovered of all the species here, Gluttony seems to especially like foxes."

"You monster!" Sally yelled. "He's only a child!"

"And predators love to go after the young. Easier to catch; besides, I hear the meat is more tender. Isn't that right, Gluttony?" Lust smirked.

Gluttony only cackled as his tongue whipped out of his mouth, small bits of caustic saliva singing Tails' fur.

"Sonic! Sally!" Tails yelled as he continued to struggle.

"What do you want!" Sally screamed. Sonic's first instinct was to spin dash up the building and clobber the fat one, but he wasn't sure if he could make it in time before Gluttony could bite down on Tails' skull. As much as it pained him to do so, for now the best thing to do was stay put and hope for an opening.

"You." Lust said, pointing at Sally. "The doctor wants you above all the other Freedom Fighters."

"Like I didn't see that one comn'" Sonic muttered. He and Sally were always the top two on Robotnik's hit list, but if it came to taking one hostage, he preferred Sally. She was generally the easier one to contain. And Robotnik knew how much it sent him over the edge to see her in danger. "And if Sally turns herself in, how do we know you'll keep your word and hand Tails over!" he shouted at the Homunculi.

Lust only sneered sadistically. "You don't. I don't really care either way; to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if you did let him die. You all are, after all, just animals."

Sonic and Sally nearly lost their cool and got ready to attack, but someone stopped them. "I suggest you consider the deal." St. John had finally caught up with them, and looked above to see Tails in a predicament. "I don't like the idea of trading you to these monsters any more than you two. But Tails' life is at stake; it doesn't look like we have a choice." St. John put a comforting shoulder on Sally. "Don't worry, luv; I'll come get you."

"Ahem." Sonic growled. "You mean WE will." Sonic wanted to break St. John's nose for suggesting it, but knowing Sally, it just might come to that.

St. John rolled his eyes. "Whatever, mate."

Lust only stared down at the three mobians impatiently. "I think we've spent enough time debating all this!" she called. "So, what's it going to be…Princess? You, or the Fox?"

* * *

"Okay." Ed said to himself. _"This should do it."_ Ed clapped his hands, and began a transmutation with the materials surrounding the Disorganizero. He had to break off a couple of pipes connected to the disorganizero in order for the transmutation to work, and he had to do it quickly. Just being near it caused his skin to turn into metal, albeit thin strips. He hated to think what would happen if he was put in one of those machines himself. Soon, the transmutation began, and parts of the metal surrounding them became a small box with a handle, made of titanium, just like Uncle Chuck told him to do. Ed felt his skin; it looked like the conversion to metal had finally stopped. "Phew." He said. "No wonder it's kept far away from Robotnik; it's dangerous!" Quickly, he picked it up by the handle, and made his way back. He created hole large enough for both him and the box to pass through. "No time to climb; I better hurry."

Quickly, he transmuted the metal beneath him to make a pole he could hold onto as he made it ascend. When he reached the level he was looking for, he hopped off. Quickly, he knocked on the metal 3 times like he and Al planned. _"I better wait for him topside."_ He squirmed his way out of the passage, and onto the floor…and a laser missed him by a hair's breadth.

"**Surrender!"** one Swatbot among a dozen others ordered as it pointed its wrist blaster at him. **"Raise your hands, prisoner!"** Ed groaned, and dropped the box, holding his hands up in surrender.

"I've heard a lot about you from Lust, Mr. Edward Elric…"

That voice gave Edward chills. It was no one he knew, but that could mean only one thing. _"It's him!"_ The swatbots stepped to the side to allow their master to be seen by the alchemist. "Dr. Robotnik, I presume."

Robotnik chuckled, and approached the alchemist. "So, you know who I am. From the Freedom Fighters, I presume? Good, then I suppose no introductions and explanations are necessary!" Ed did his best not to flinch at the sight of the unapologetically evil man.

"You're a lot fatter in person." Edward muttered. It was stupid, and pointless, but at the moment he could've cared less.

"It seems you and that blasted hedgehog have a lot in common." Robotnik sneered. "But that's beside the point. I have observed the alchemy you practiced. A fascinating skill." Robotnik turned to the side, pointing Edward towards where he left Snively, still imprisoned, struggling and gagged in the coils of metal as other robots tried to sheer it away. "And one most amusing." Robotnik giggled at the sight of Snively tied up like a little worm.

"I see you treat your subordinates very nicely." Ed muttered sarcastically as he noticed the mad scientist show only amusement at Snively's predicament. "And if you're going to ask me to work for you, forget it."

Robotnik twisted and stared at him with a glare that Ed thought could've killed someone just by looking at them. "Well…it was something along those lines." He then noticed the box next to his feet. "What's in the box?"

"My lunch." Ed sneered.

Robotnik stared, noticing the case was made of titanium. Which meant only one thing… "Swatbots! Confiscate that box!"

One grabbed the box without hesitation. "Hey! Give that…" Another swatbot knocked him on his back as Ed reached for his object of desire.

"Planning to steal the key component to my Roboticizer, were you!" Robotnik shouted as the one swatbot held it. "Normally I would roboticize you as soon as I can get the Roboticizer back online…but then, you wouldn't be able to teach me your unique skills."

Ed nearly blanched. "Teach you!"

"Yes." Robotnik stroked his chin. "A mere simpleton would have believed they have seen magic…but from what little footage I could get of you, I could see there was so much more to it. You didn't just create something out of nothing, am I right?"

Ed growled. "It's called equivalent exchange, asshole."

"Now we're getting somewhere…though an attitude adjustment is in order."

Ed sneered. "Even if I wanted to, there's no way you could learn it! Besides, physical training is as important as the mental, and a fatso like you would never be able to…"

Robotnik suddenly grabbed him by the collar and threw him into the computer console. The metal bent and crumbled like it was paper underneath Ed, and the alchemist felt a sharp sheering pain in his back.

"_Ow. He may be fat, but he's got some muscle on him!"_ Ed took a deep breath to help the pain subside. _"But he's nowhere near Armstrong's level…"_

"Don't be deceived by appearances." Robotnik told him as he once more approached his prone form. "Back in the early days of my empire, I always feared my creations turning against me. So, I've trained my muscles to break even metal!" Robotnik declared, clenching his fist. "And, my robotic arm…no thanks to the hedgehog…supplements those abilities even more." Robotnik strode towards Ed and lifted him by the arm. "So, don't think I-"Robotnik stopped mid-sentence. He gave Ed's wrist a light squeeze; the flesh was hard! "What's this?" Robotnik pulled down Edward's sleeve, and stared in awe at his automail. "I see." He sneered. "This is why the Homunculi call you the Full Metal Alchemist!" He began to laugh lightly. "We have much more in common than I thought; you really should join us!"

Ed growled "There's at least one difference between us…Robuttnik!" Robotnik almost recoiled at the insult he was normally used to hearing from Sonic. "My arm and leg were lost due to me trying to bring my mother back and saving my brother! You're arm…is just a result of getting what you deserve! In fact…I bet you prefer your arm like that. And unlike you…I want my limbs back."

Robotnik growled, and some contraption suddenly appeared on Robotnik's left hand, and pointed at Ed's forehead. "You may have a point…care to see how our mechanical arms compare?"

* * *

"Alright." Sally told the Homunculi, stepping forward. "You have a deal. Now let Tails go."

Sonic bent his knees slightly, getting ready to make a run for it once Tails was released and grab Sally at the same time. That was an unlikely scenario; after all, the Homunculi had the hostage. It would be unwise for them to release their hostage until they were in complete control, but Sonic nonetheless got ready for the unlikely scenario. However pessimistic things looked, it was always best to plan for the best, he believed.

"You heard her, Gluttony." Lust waved to her partner. "You can let the poor thing go now."

Gluttony whined, looking forward to eating the young fox, but he would not disobey her. He withdrew Tails from his jaw…and suddenly, slammed him onto ground level. It wasn't strong enough to damage any major bones, but the fox was effectively knocked out.

"What!" Sonic yelled. "Why you dirty little-"Sonic suddenly felt the wind get knocked out of him as something kicked him 20 feet to the side, and sent him flying.

Sonic groaned as he tried to stand up, noticing Geoffrey extending his leg in a side kick. "You-!"

"Geoffrey!" Sally screamed. "What has gotten into you!" St. John spun and grabbed her wrist. Sally tried to fight it off, but his strength surprised her. "OWWW!" Before she could demand him to release her, her face frowned in horror. "Oh no…"

"Oh yes." St. John said in a voice not his own. "You should have never taken your eye off the ball, Princess." St. John suddenly grew in size, and became Envy. "You'll have to forgive me the first time around; I'm not particularly good at home work." He then grabbed the chipmunk in a choke hold, and lifted her off the ground. "But your skunk pal had a very interesting accent I was just dying to try! I spent a lot of time on that one!"

"Sal!" Sonic revved up, and charged, but he was knocked back far away enough to give Envy the one second he needed to escape.

The homunculi leaped up a story and a half, and grabbed hold of the ledge. Sally wildly attacked Envy's arm with some kicks and scratches from her nails, but it wasn't painful enough to make him release her. "We've got a very bad pet here. I think we need to put it down!" He suddenly slammed Sally's head onto the concrete, effectively knocking her out.

"Careful not to crack her skull, Envy." Lust warned him as she kept Sonic and Tails at bay with her nails. "The doctor wanted her alive."

"Don't worry; she should be fine in an hour or so. She'll have a splitting headache though, I 'll give you that." Envy said as he checked her skull for fractures.

"No matter. We got what we came for." Lust then reached into her cleavage and pulled out some kind of canister. Pressing a button, it glowed red, and she threw it towards the two mobians below. A green gas erupted from it.

"Tails, fall back!" Sonic shouted to his friend. "That's probably nerve gas!"

Reluctantly, the two of them fell back. When the smoke cleared, they were gone. The faint sound of a hover unit informed them how they made their escape. "Sonic! What do we do!" Tails shouted distraught.

Sonic clenched his fist. "What we always do. Kick some robuttnik, and then some, and free a few friends along the way! They're probably taking her towards the citadel. We can still catch up!"

"You probably could, but I don't think that would be wise, mate." The two spun to see the real St. John, looking tattered and bruised, having a slight limp in his gait. "I'm sorry; I couldn't stop him…"

"It's cool, pal." Sonic said in a rare moment of understanding with his rival. "These homunculi are really throwing curveballs at us! Ed wasn't kidding!" Sonic turned around in the general direction of Robotnik's citadel. "But I ain't goin' to let that stop me!"

"Whoa, mate!" St. John firmly grasped his shoulder. "Almost all of the swatbots and badniks are gathered there! You might be able to get in, but even with help, there's no way you're getting out."

Sonic spun into St. John's face and shouted "So, you're really suggesting we just abandon her!"

"In a way, you can look at it that way." St. John said softly, somewhat ashamed. "But we've got time. Think about it; if all the badniks are gathered at the citadel, what do you think that could mean?"

Sonic's eyes widened in realization. "Ed got the Disorganizero for the Roboticizer!" "

"Precisely mate. I'm still not sure whether or not to trust them, but whatever their motivations, they've bought us some time. Robotnik will want to get that new ship of his up and running, too. I think its best we meet up with your other teammates. It'll be easier to save her when we're all present."

Sonic reluctantly agreed silently. "You heard him Tails! Let's juice!"

* * *

Robotnik was about to fire a laser into Ed's skull, just strong enough to leave a permanent mark. Suddenly, his ears began ringing; someone was calling him. He pressed his arm, not willing to take his aim off of Ed, and answered. "Robotnik speaking."

"**It's us."** Lust said on the other side of the communicator. **"We have the Princess."**

"Excellent, my dear." Robotnik replied, smiling wickedly. "Hurry and bring her to me. Now!"

Though he didn't take his eye off Ed, just talking to the homunculi over the communicator was all the distraction Ed needed. Quickly clapping his hand, Ed once again transmuted his arm into blade form, immediately puncturing Robotnik's metallic arm. "What the-!" Before Robotnik could comprehend what was going on, Ed followed up with a left kick to Robotnik's nose. Despite his massive size, the metal appendage was strong enough to knock him flat on his back.

The swatbots reacted immediately and aimed their lasers. Ed transmuted a shield in front of him and made a run for it. Before the robots could realize what was happening, he made a beeline for the bot holding the box. "I'll be taking that now, thank you very much!" He crouched down and took it down with a sweep and snatched the Disorganizero from it. Ed prepared to make another transmutation, but as long as one hand was needed to hold onto the box, that was impossible. A laser hit the box dead center; it wasn't strong enough to punch a hole through the metallic casing, but the force was enough to knock Ed down.

"Take him out!" Robotnik shouted as he straightened his nose.

The swatbots charged up their lasers…and suddenly metallic fists launched underneath them, sending them on a date with the ceiling. "What's happening!" Robotnik yelled. Suddenly, another fist…one with its middle finger sticking out…sent the dictator flying as well.

"Al!" Ed shouted.

On cue, his younger brother opened up a door large enough for him to crawl through. "Sorry, brother! I had to plant a few transmutation circles around the floor when I noticed we had company! Took me longer than I would have liked!"

"Never mind that, Al! We got what we came for! Let's get the hell out of here!"

Ed quickly transmuted the floor immediately in front of him, and extended it outside into a slide. Al wasn't worried, but his brother…"Brother? Are you-"

"If anyone should be worried about getting sick, it's me! Now come on!" The brothers leaped onto the slide, making their escape. Ed was just thankful he got the angle right, or they would be in for a very rough landing.

Robotnik, getting his bearings straight, ran towards the edge. "Cretins! You won't escape me! Not with your lives, anyway!" He pointed his fist and the figures below, charging up one of him many laser weapons…but nothing happened. "What!" Robotnik mentally commanded his arm to fire, but he was still met with the same results. "That little…! His sword must have severed a circuit!" Robotnik walked over to his ruined console, and slammed his fist. "I suspect we will have a future together…" he muttered to himself.

Suddenly, he heard a hovercraft approaching. That could only mean one thing: The Homunculi! _"Well, at least one thing is going my way…" _

The hovercraft stopped in front of the massive hole, and opened its door. Envy, carrying Princess Sally over his shoulder, leapt off and tossed her onto the floor. "Here ya go, doc." He brushed himself off. "I have to admit, she's a lot more shrewd than she looks. I guess we owe you an apology for nearly laughing at you for these critters giving you a hard time."

Robotnik, satisfied, walked over and grabbed her by the hair. "I underestimated your nemesis too, it seems. We'll call it even."

"So, what are we going to do with her?" Lust asked as she and Gluttony disembarked. "I hope you're not going to use her for what I think you're thinking of…"

"Somehow, I doubt that." Robotnik snorted in annoyance and disgust. "But to answer your question, normally I would have her roboticized."

"Normally, you say? What seems to be the problem?" Lust asked skeptically.

"The Disorganizero!" Robotnik suddenly shouted. "The key component to my machine." Robotnik hastily explained. "Without it, the roboticization will not work."

"Well, you could just kill her." Envy said nonchalantly, lightly kicking her with his foot (for him, anyway).

"True, but it would be such a waste. Especially when I can use her to capture the others." Robotnik thought for a minute. "But…I think you've nonetheless presented me with quite an opportunity. Snivley! Are you free from your blasted contraption yet!"

"Y-yes sir." Snivley said as he shakily stood up, the earlier commotion causing his bonds to break

"Inform Crocbot to board the Flying Battery. We're taking off."

"B-but sir? Are you sure that's wise? I'm certain that the ship has been discovered by now…"

Robotnik turned and growled and Snively, who quickly shut himself up. "Of course they've discovered it, Snively! And I want their attention directed towards it! After all…" A groan from Sally's mouth informed Robotnik that she was waking up. "Why risk having them attacking the city…when I can lead them away and into a trap to save their princess?"

* * *

On the outskirts of the city, Sonic skidded to a halt as he met up with the rest of his fellow freedom fighters. "Sonic!" Rotor waved. "Where's Sally?"

"Bad news, man." the hedgehog replied. "She evaded Robuttnik's new pals only to get captured again! I'm sorry…we were all caught off guard."

Bunnie, trembling with anger over her best friend in danger, slammed her robotic fist into her palm. "Well, we ain't gonna accomplish nuthin' by just standing here, y'all! C'mon, sugah hog! Let's-"

"I'm afraid on that subject, there's more bad news." Sonic interrupted her. "Every bot in the city is surrounding buttnik's citadel! At the moment, rescuing Sal…as much as I hate to admit it…is impossible."

"But there lies the good news as well, mate!" St. John interjected, having finally caught up to him. "The heightened security there means that the Elrics have succeeded in her mission. Roboticization…at least for now…is also impossible!"

"But still, ve must hurry!" Antoine insisted. "Just because Robotnik cannot Roboteezizer, does not mean he could do vorser!"

"No." Tails said. He suddenly tugged on Sonic's arm. "He can't! Sonic, we've-"

Patting his friend's head, he said "We'll save her buddy…somehow." doing his best to comfort his young friend. "But you know how old' buttnik is; he'd rather use her as some kind of hostage to lure us all in; especially me." _"At least, that's what I'm hopin'…"_ he kept to himself. The homunculi changed everything, and there was no telling how their presence would change Robotnik. "Let's just wait for Ed and Al. Then, we juice!"

After a few minutes, the brothers were in sight. "Hey!" Sonic shouted. "Did you get it!"

Ed and Al halted in front of the Freedom Fighters, while Ed hunched over to catch his breath. "Yeah." Was his reply. "We got it." He showed the Freedom Fighters the case, tapping it. "We had some trouble along the way; but nothing we couldn't handle."

"Glad to hear ya reached your objective, mate…" St. John remarked, pushing his mistrust of them in the back of his mind for now. "…cause you may have averted another crisis! Your friends have captured the Princess!"

Ed and Al turned their heads in shock. "Sally! They got her!" Al shouted in horror.

"Afraid so, mate." St. John said. "Which brings us good news and bad news. The good news is, since you brought the key component of the roboticizer with you, she won't be enslaved! The bad news…well, those blasted monsters of yours may act in a manner we're not used to seeing with Ivo. So, we still can't guarantee her safety."

Before the two alchemists could respond to that, a spy orb approached them. Ed and Al were getting ready to hide, but Sonic and St. John stopped them. "It's cool." Sonic assured them. "It looks like Buttnik is sending us a message. Much as I don't like talking to him, unless I'm calling him names, we better hear him out. Then, we'll know how to save Sal."

Suddenly, a hologram of Robotnik appeared in front of them, startling the Elric brothers before they realized it was the same manipulation of light they saw from Nicole. **"Greetings, Freedom Fighters."** Robotnik sneered. **"I've had the pleasure of meeting your two new friends. They were quite…fascinating, I should say. Except for one thing…YOUR CURSED ALCHEMISTS STOLE MY DISORGANEIZERO!"** He shouted. **"And I want it back."** He told them, regaining his composure.

"Let me guess." Ed interrupted. "You want this in exchange for the princess." He stated, showing off the briefcase.

"**Well, that's part of it."** Robotnik grinned. **"But, in exchange for all the trouble you have caused me, I want you and the Freedom Fighters' greatest champions as well." **

The hologram changed with a video of swatbots placing Sally in some kind of chamber…one Sonic was all too familiar with. _"An egg roboticizer."_ It was a capsule that would roboticize its occupants; convenient if Robotnik wanted something roboticized and going to the main roboticizer wasn't feasible. Thankfully, the process took a while, and the large switch on top was the key to releasing anyone trapped inside. "None of your roboticizers work now, buttnik. Just how do you plan to threaten us with that thing?"

"**This chamber has a special modification."** Robotnik replied. **"It is set to go off in one hour. When that happens, instead of becoming a roboticizer…its function would duplicate that of a cremator."** Robotnik laughed smugly. **"As I said, you and the Freedom Fighters have one hour. Come aboard my ship, and bring the disorganezero with you. I hear being burned to death is…quite excruciating."** Robotnik only cackled as his image faded out.

Everyone's fist clenched in anger. They all had only one goal in mind: Rescue Sally! "Guys, I'd hate to reign in on your parade with getting that ore…especially considering how much it would help both of us…" Sonic began.

"You don't have to explain." Ed said. "But one thing worries me if we follow through with his demands: will he really give Sally back? I've only known him for 5 minutes, but it doesn't seem that he's that kind of guy."

"No." Sonic agreed. "Buttnik isn't exactly a model at keeping promises. If we do give into his demands, he'll probably kill her anyway!"

"Still, we'll have to bring the ore." Alphonse interrupted. "If anything goes wrong, we'll need it as fallback."

* * *

Robotnik, Snively, and the Homunculi boarded the ship. As Snively escorted the 3 immortals towards the command center, Robotnik stayed behind to do a final checkup. "Crocbot! Desert Whorl! Are you here!"

"**Yeah, yeah. Don't go blowing a gasket!"** Crocbot shouted as he wheeled into view.

"**Apologies, sur!"** Desert Whorl saluted as he appeared beside his fellow sub-boss. **"We had trouble with communications after that blackout! I take it everything is alright now, sur?" **

Robotnik growled "It's being worked out. Anyway, I just wanted to double check that you both know your tasks?"

"**Clear as the sky where you're not smogging it up."** Crocbot muttered as he wheeled his way inside. **"I hope the trip is worth it! I wanna get this power, be done with it, and return to Downunda!" **

"Soon enough, Crocbot." Robotnik assured him. "In the event you lose your territory to Downunda, once we get what we need, you should be able to take it back with ease." The dictator than turned to face Desert Whorl as Crocbot took his leave. "I trust you understand I need one of my best generals to guard my city?"

"**Aye, sur!"** Desert Whorl replied enthusiastically. **"It is an honor!"**

"Excellent! Just what I wanted to hear! Now, if you'll excuse me, we'll be on our way now."

Desert Whorl disembarked while Robotnik made his way to the command center, where the 3 homunculi were waiting for him. "We're ready." Lust said. "And we're quite anxious to go. I fear we've gotten ourselves too deep into your business; your squabble with those Freedom Fighters is a distraction from our main objective."

"Fair enough." Robotnik said. "I do agree that it's about time to go back to your world anyway. And I believe I know just the way to do it!" He pressed the communicator on the command console. "Attention swatbots! Prepare for take-off now! 5…4…3…2…1…LAUNCH!"

The rockets beneath the hull roared to life, and the Homunculi stumbled in surprise as they felt the craft begin to fly. "Incredible!" Lust exclaimed. "And our world believed flight like this was impossible!"

Robotnik only smiled. They had their extraordinary abilities…but as long as he had his technology and intelligence, he could eliminate these monsters anytime he wished. _"For now though…this partnership is still valid!"_ He looked forward on the console, eagerly anticipating visiting this new world…

* * *

"There she goes." St. John noted from the plane as the Flying Battery took off. "You sure the virus will affect him?" he asked Rotor.

"Fairly positive." The mechanic replied. "It probably won't slow him down to his destination, but at least we'll make it one hell of a trip for him…as much as it will be for us once the others board it." He added sheepishly. "I made sure to ruin what other features I could, but it was tough with his new security system.

Sonic and Tails heard none of this; perhaps more so the former than the later. Their minds were on their failure to protect Sally in the first place.

Ed looked at the blue hedgehog as he only stared out the window, itching to go. Ed then briefly thought about Winry. _"If anything like this happened to her…"_ No point in thinking about that, he thought as he stopped himself from going any further. She wasn't here; and that was probably for the best. Walking his way to Sonic, he lightly squeezed his soldier. "We'll get her back; I promise."

Sonic only looked at him, then flashed his cocky grin. "I know; who do ya think you're talking to?"

Ed only grinned back. "Now that's the spirit." Ed went back to his seat and looked out the window, where Al was preparing to mount Dulcy. Though the dragon was reluctant to carry his weight again, for Sally's sake she would bear it. Al saw him, and gave him a thumbs up. Ed did the same. _"This may not be our world…but these people have become more than mere acquaintances. And now, we have to help them."_

The plane's rotors spun, and the plane ran across the field as it gained momentum for flight. Dulcy flapped her wings as she took off with Al. Both Freedom Fighters and State Alchemists were about to come together for more than a mission; they were off to rescue a friend.

* * *

I don't think I have to tell any of you what's coming up next. It might be fun if during the next chapter you have the BG music for Flying Battery of Sonic and Knuckles playing!


	8. Crazy Battery

Hi everyone! Sorry it took me so long to bring this chapter up…it was a long one, I was busy…You know the routine. At least I managed to get it up…if barely…under a year. I hope this chapter will be exciting, and stay tuned! Please…

* * *

Knuckles plucked a strawberry from a nearby brush for extra energy as he sprinted up the hill. Strawberry Hill, to be exact; it used to be one of his favorite places to go on the island as a kid. And as nice as it was to snack, he was here on serious business, and worse, didn't have enough time. He had to see a friend of his.

His home wasn't hard to spot; just a small cottage with only one room. Knocking on the door (probably closer to banging it down due to his impatience), he called "Charmy! Get up!"

As the door opened, a large bee with flight goggles stepped out, rubbing his eyes. "Knux! It's Saturday morning!" he complained. Which was odd, considering he could sleep in if he wanted every day of the week.

"Like you have anything better to do!" Knuckles shot back. "Listen, I need your help. Go find Vector and Mighty. I'll be looking for Espio and Archimedes; we'll get everyone together faster that way!"

Charmy ran inside and put on his shoes…not that he would really need them…and suddenly shrunk to the size of a typical insect, taking flight. "What is it? That Robotnik guy?" Charmy asked, his fatigue having vanished.

"Yeah. Got an early warning from the Princess." Knuckles confirmed. "We'll be better off if we're prepared for him. Now go!"

Charmy zipped due west, searching for two of the "Chaotix" members. _"I just hope that's ALL we have to deal with."_ Knuckles thought as he began to glide in the opposite direction. _"Cause if we screw up…we're going to be in such big trouble that I wouldn't be surprised if even Ivo himself regrets what he is about to do!"_

* * *

"I suggest everyone brace themselves!" Rotor shouted as he and Antoine flew the plane closer to the Flying Battery. "It's about to become a very, very bumpy ride!"

Antoine gulped as he reluctantly steered the wheel to the right. "Do-do-do you not suppose zis iz a good time for zee stealthy approach, no?"

"Antoine, not now!" everyone scolded him. When he tried, Antoine could come through, but more often than not, his cowardice was a hindrance to the group.

"We need to ensure everyone gets on board without his notice." Rotor reminded the real pilot. "We're going to begin the rescue now; the virus should kick in at any minute. Nicole! Run the schematics and mark points for everyone to board!"

"**Scanning."** Nicole, hooked to the plane's controls, replied. She then displayed a hologram, showing the blueprints of the ship, marking different points of entry for Edward and the Freedom Fighters.

"Okay. Except for Ed, everyone's going to have to go in pairs. Bunnie and St. John, you two are up! We're going to match our speed with the airship!"

The skunk and rabbot got ready as the plane edged towards the lower left. Bunnie and St. John got out of their seats, as Bunnie opened the hatch. "You ready, sugar?" St. John aimed his crossbow with a rocket powered arrow, and fired, taking a zip-line with it. In a split second, Bunnie grabbed St. John and using her robotic arm, took hold of the line. Her rocket powered boots jettisoned them towards the ship. Once they were in, the line was cut, and the plane continued on its way.

"Impressive." Ed noted.

"We've had experience with things like these before." Rotor told him.

Ed then noticed what seemed like large guns and cannons coming out of the ship. "Uh…I know I'm a little bit behind with the tech here…but to me, that looks like real bad news."

"It is." Sonic confirmed. "But we've been through worse in the skies. Don't worry, Ant here's a good pilot, if nothing else."

"Not only that, but I gave Buttnik a few surprises, remember?" Rotor asked, smiling mischievously. "Give it a sonic second; I've a feeling this is going to be good."

The turrets suddenly changed in various directions, and began to fire in the air at random.

"Whoa!" Ed exclaimed in fascination. "What did you do to that thing?"

"Computer virus." Rotor explained. "You know how microorganisms can make your body behave in a pathological manner, right? This affects machines."

"Okay." Ed said, a little bit lost on how that worked. "But I don't think this will help us much once we get on. In fact, I think you only made it worse!" he shouted as he observed the chaos outside.

"In a way." Rotor replied, sheepishly. "We originally did not believe we would actually have to board the ship. But, if nothing else, it should serve as a decent distraction, not to mention if this keeps going on, the ship will eventually lose power. And believe me, that counts for something."

* * *

"AAAHHHH!" Envy yelled as a sprinkler from above surprised him with a sudden gust of water. "What the hell is going on here!?"

Robotnik, desperately trying to shield himself from the sudden cascade with his cape, demanded the same thing. "Snively, what in blazes is going on here!?"

"I'm checking, sir!" he responded in a panicking voice. Running a diagnostic on the console, he slammed his hand against it upon receiving the diagnosis. "Blast!"

"Well, Snively?"

"A virus, sir! Those rebels uploaded a virus our system is not prepared for! I can get rid of it, but unfortunately, it's going to take some time!"

Robotnik growled. "They would have needed to have been here first!" Before he could yell another complaint to his lackey, he started thinking before he allowed himself to be consumed by his rage. _"They knew. Somehow, they've been finding out all my secrets! But how!?"_ Realizing it would do him no good at this point, he gave another order. "Begin all anti-viral protocols. Get things under control, and quickly! I assume our basic modes of transportation and manual weapons still work?"

"Affirmative, sir! I'll see to all the other functions right away!" Snively answered as he began to repair what damage he could.

Robotnik exited the command center, the Homunculi trailing behind him and soaking wet. "So, what now?" Lust asked.

"We get ready." Robotnik replied. "I demanded my ore back, and I suspect a certain someone will come here to give it me. I would like to be ready in that event. You three may feel free to place yourself wherever you like; I'll need you to keep everyone else at bay."

"And the Princess?" Lust asked out of curiosity.

The tyrant answered. "Well, if I get what I want, I'll keep my word. I promised to let her out of the incinerator…but I said nothing about harming her in some other way! Like say…dropping her from the sky!" Robotnik gave a quick laugh at the loophole he created for himself.

Lust grinned evilly. "I've a feeling you're going to fit in with our family just fine."

"Why, thank you." Robotnik bowed. "Now be careful; while I doubt anything in here could kill you, it wouldn't do to have the machinery damage you when they could be used against something more…mortal, shall we say."

* * *

"Sonic! Tails! You guys are next!" Rotor said. The two freedom fighters unfastened their seatbelts and made their way to the hatch. "By the way, Sonic!" Rotor called as he unhooked Nicole from the console. "I think Sally would like her back!" Tossing Nicole, Sonic caught it with ease and tucked it into his backpack.

"Ready, little buddy?" Sonic asked as he carefully edged towards the outside.

"Always, Sonic!" Tails replied.

"You know the drill!" Suddenly, Sonic dove out of the plane like he was doing nothing more than a high dive. Tails zoomed forward to catch him, and guided Sonic towards the ship. "Careful, buddy! Once we get close, those turrets will go crazy!" the hedgehog warned the fox.

Carefully, Tails avoided any stray fire, and found a part of the ship that was relatively safe. "Landing in 321…!"

Tails let the blue speedster go, who immediately began to rev up despite having no ground to gain traction from. The split second later that he did land, the hedgehog took off like nothing. Dodging the turrets, he gave a quick wave to Tails to let him know everything was alright. "Good luck, Tails! Don't worry about finding me; I'm sure I'll find you in a sonic second when I need to!" Tails waved back, and flew to the ventral aspect of the ship.

Sonic, wasting no time, quickly scanned for an entrance. "Let's see…too narrow…dead end…" Though it was probably only a few seconds, to the blue speedster it felt like an eternity to him before he could locate a suitable entrance. "Ah-hah! Bingo!" Finally, Sonic saw an air vent that looked like a suitable opening. Quickly, he grabbed hold of it, and ran backwards as fast as he could. Despite the power his speed was putting into it, getting it lose was an arduous task. Getting vents and grates out were Bunnie's specialty. Fortunately, within 2 seconds it gave, and Sonic ran inside.

Entering the ventilation system, he sped along, guided only by instinct. _"Hang on, Sal! I'm comn'!"_

* * *

"Okay, Ed! You're up next!" Rotor called.

Ed rushed to the hatch…and stopped dead in his tracks. "Uhm…sorry if this sounds like a stupid question…BUT HOW THE HELL DO I GET DOWN THERE!?"

Rotor nearly smacked himself, as he remembered Ed was not familiar with aircraft. "Sorry! We're used to having people trained for this kind of thing!" Rotor then hit a few buttons on Nicole. "Don't worry though…if there's one thing that we and you have in common, it's the ability to improvise! Right, Dulcy?"

* * *

"Roger that!" Dulcy answered into her communicator. Dulcy let herself drop in altitude slightly, to regain some breath. Alphonse had to weigh at least half as much as she did! "I have trouble following air crafts as it is…and you're not helping!" she huffed.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you!" Al replied. "The wind's too strong up here!"

"I said, get ready!" she yelled to save face. "I'm going to get you as close as I can to the craft! Then, you're going to have to jump!"

Alphonse would have looked at her nervously if his helmet would allow it. "Are you crazy!?" he shouted in disbelief.

"You'll just have to manage somehow!" Dulcy replied as she flapped her wings increased in beat. "Because if you don't, that brother of yours is going to have an even harder time getting down!" Al felt the impulse to gulp, forgetting he had no such body tissue to do such a thing. "Hang on! I'm revn' at full throttle!"

Alphonse quickly caught his head before it could fly away. Indeed, they were quickly closing in on the airship; it seemed whatever Rotor had done before slowed it down tremendously. However, all the guns and turrets were firing at random; "catching up" to it may not have been the best idea. "AHHH!" Alphonse screamed as he saw an incoming projectile. Quickly, Dulcy pivoted left and dove forward. Opening her mouth, she then released fire, fire hot enough to melt the metal ship's hull. All turrets caught in her blast were quickly reduced to slag.

"Now's your chance! Jump!" she yelled.

Reluctantly, Al began to lean over Dulcy's side (causing her to turn with him). Finally, Al jumped and let go. He tumbled on the ship and rolled. Just when it seemed he would fall to his death, he grabbed hold of one of the stray railings. Hoisting himself up, he then scanned for the Freedom Fighters' plane. Upon spotting in, Al got to work. Pulling out a piece of chalk, he immediately sketched a quick transmutation circle. Activating it, the metal hull extended from the ship's exterior into a large and long bar.

* * *

"That's your cue!" Rotor called to Ed. "We're going to cut the ship off course and meet it at its destination! Good luck, Ed!"

"_Oh, when you say it that way, it sounds so simple…"_ Ed muttered sarcastically. Ed hung on to the hatch as the plane rotated slightly to angle him with the bar. Ed took a deep breath…and a gulp…and propelled himself out of the plane. Instead of a diving leap that Ed typically performed, he flailed his arms like a hawk chick desperately trying to fly. "AHHHHHH!" Ed leapt from great heights before, but not so great he couldn't see the ground beneath him; looking down unnerved him severely. Thankfully, his human instinct to live propelled his arms to grab the bar; the impact of it rattled him, and for a second he thought his shoulders would dislocate.

"Ed!" Al called. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Al!" Ed grunted. "I'm just glad I didn't wet myself." Ed struggled to lift himself onto the bar. "I'll be fine, Al! Go! You've got your own job to do!" he waved him off. Al nodded, and ran up the ship. _"Okay, Ed. The hard part's over with…I hope."_

Little did he know, a screw from his automail arm fell into the sea below…

* * *

Sonic kicked down a grate, and helped himself into the main corridor of the ship below. "Now it's time to really juice!"

Sonic took off at his usual speed, oblivious to the alarms. "Whoa!" Sonic shouted as he dodged a projectile. A turtle like robot with a canon for a nose stared back at him. "Sorry, chrome-dome, but I've got no time to play!" He went into a sonic spin and tore the poor machine open. His spinning body jumped up and down the floor and ceiling, taking out the Blaster bots along the way. "Sayonara!"

Sonic doubted that was the last of the badniks he would see on board. And normally, he would look forward to trashing all of them. But Sally's well-being always came first. Soon, he approached what seemed to be a skateboard with a propeller. Sonic remembered seeing similar devices in the various factories he and his friends sabotaged. When weight was put on them, they took off, delivering the cargo without haste. Sonic wondered what would happen if he stepped on it. _"Only one way to find out!"_ He stepped on it, and he felt his speed increase by a considerable margin. "Whooo-hooo!" Sonic was sent flying when it came to an abrupt stop, but landed on his feet without pause. He continued running, seeing the sky up ahead. "Maybe I can get a better idea of where to go from there!"

He ran outside…and stared down into the ocean "UH-OH!" Sonic revved up his legs, hoping to slow his fall, but it did little good. He lucked out, though, as he saw a hovering circular platform below. He grabbed hold of it, and finally began to breath again. "Whew! If Buttnik knew these emergency transport things would save my life, I bet he would've never made them!" Quickly, Sonic hurled himself up, and looked for a way across the dock. "Man I sure could use Tails right now!" he hissed as he observed it was a long way across. Then, Sonic noticed some hangars right above them. "Monkey Bars! Haven't done that since I was a little ol' hog!" As the platform neared the roof, Sonic leapt off and grab hold. While he made good time swinging across, the fact that it was taking seconds irritated him. "This is definitely for the birds!"

Sonic finally touched down on the other side. "If there's anything that Buttnik's good at, is figuring out how to make a super-fast hedgehog waste time!" He took off once more, his mind on only one thing. _"Hang on Sal…just a bit longer!"_

* * *

"Okay. I just need to calm down…" Ed was just too unnerved to function at top capacity. Standing on a giant airship, and moving within it, was bad enough. Remembering what was at stake, he forced himself to calm down. He's been through unbelievable situations before; he would just have to treat this as one of those. "No choice." Al already went ahead of him; if he could muster up the courage to get going, so could he! "Here I go!"

Ed ran forward towards the door that seemingly invited him in. Getting there was going to be a challenge, with all of the ship's mechanisms going haywire and firing at random. He stepped in, observing his surroundings. He was beginning to feel like Winry observing machinery, but he didn't have the time to postulate and admire how it all worked. Thankfully, any harmful projectiles he saw seemed to be aimed at each other. Ed sprinted down the hall, the corridor seemingly going on forever. Soon, he reached a dead end. "God damn it." He cursed. Ed looked around, trying to see if there were any alternative routes. It seemed there were several, and who knows where they would all lead. He didn't have time to search through a maze. Judging by the very slight draft of air, it seemed the only way was up.

Ed suddenly face palmed himself. "I can't believe I didn't think of that! This world may be extraordinary…" Clapping his hands, he transmuted the metal floor beneath him, raising him up. "But then again, so am I!" Reaching the floor above, he disembarked.

It looked like it would be clear sailing, but something fast approached him. Ed, initially on the defensive, calmed down upon seeing what approached him. While it was a robot, it was small. Probably no bigger than his foot. It had no distinctive limbs, an ovalish-shaped body, a rodent like tail, and large, bulging eyes. In fact, it seemed kind of…cute. "Hey." Ed said, kneeling to get a better look at it. Pretending to put on a face of adoration, he teased it. "You're a cute one, aren't you? Are you looking for a butt kicking? Yes, you are!"

The robo-mouse's eyes narrowed in irritation. "Come on, I'm going to uppercut you to hurty town…" Ed continued to tease it.

Suddenly, the robot sped forward and swept Ed off his feet, giving him a nice bump on the head upon contact with the metallic floor. "Ow!" Ed yelled, holding his skull. "That's it! I'm going to rip you…" Ed stopped his rant has he heard a whole hoard of chattering noises behind him. Ed froze, and slowly looked behind him. Eyes littered the darkness, and the shadows stepped forward, revealing dozens of the mouse robots. "You've got to be-"

Before he could finish, they rushed at him from all sides, hitting him with enough force to send him airborne every time. "Ow! OW! I don't believe this!" Ed screamed as the metal mice made sure to keep him airborne. Another slider lined up in position to head butt him again, but Ed was ready this time. "WHY DON'T YOU ALL TAKE A PIECE OF CHEESE AND CHOKE ON IT!" Using his alchemy, he transmuted the floor below to make mousetrap-like snares, which clamped down on the robots. Ed took a second to savor ground beneath his feet and catch his breath. It would have been a disturbing scene had they been living things he destroyed.

Catching movement at the corner of his eye, Ed turned to his left. One of the sliders was still alive. But this time, its eyes were wide, and it was trembling with fear. "Boo!" Ed growled, lunging forward. The slider squeaked as it leapt in surprise, and ran the opposite direction. "That's right, you better run!" Ed dusted his coat, and began a jog forward. _"I don't have much time! Sally-!"_ Ed increased his pace, he began to notice a light up ahead. "Maybe it'll be easier for me to find my way from there!"

He stepped outside…and came to a screeching halt. "Whoa!" A propeller was just inches away from slicing a nice gash on his forehead. "I guess slow and steady is the way to go…I'm not much good to anyone dead…" Ed maneuvered his way between the spinning propellers; it wasn't that hard. But suddenly, the ship made a sharp turn, throwing Ed to the floor. It seemed the ship suddenly decided to continue on its planned destination, but in reverse! The g-forces sent Edward sliding towards a propeller. The young alchemist panicked, and clawed at the floor to avoid being skewered. "What the hell is that jerk thinking!?" Ed yelled.

"**Oh, I assure you, I had nothing to do with it."** Ed looked up to see a hologram of Robotnik, displayed by an orb bot. **"Thanks to your new friends, it's taking my ship twice as long to arrive at its destination. But, on the flip side, it's made things more dangerous for you. Except for the princess, foresight is not the Freedom Fighters' strong suit."** Robotnik took a moment to chuckle. **"Anyway, you have about…25 minutes left."** He informed him, looking at his robotic arm, which Ed assumed had some kind of watch. **"Look up there."** Robotnik said, pointing to a citadel straight ahead to where Ed was heading. **"That's where I would like you to relinquish the disorganizero."** He informed him. **"Be quick; it's going to take you some time to get through all this." **

"I know a trap when I see one." Ed growled.

"**Oh, I had no intention of deceiving you, Mr. Elric."** Robotnik bowed in mock fashion. **"But, what choice do you have?" **Ed only glared at him. **"The clock is ticking, Full Metal."** The hologram phased out, and the orb bot retreated to some unknown location on the ship.

Ed gritted his teeth as he looked at the citadel and the propellers in his way. "Damn!" Ed rose, and moved forward, like he always did.

* * *

Robotnik switched off the communication, and turned his attention to the other screens, observing his other adversaries currently on board. Bunnie and St. John were making good progress, as was the suit of armor. Tails was probably having the easiest time of all of them getting around on the ship, due to his ability to fly. Sonic…well, needless to say, he would either find him or the princess in mere minutes at the rate he was going.

"We're going to need to hamper their progress somehow." Pressing on his own private communicator, he radioed Snively, who was back at the control room. "Snively! Have you made any progress on removing the virus!?"

"**We have managed to isolate it, sir! However, getting rid of it is going to be another problem all together!" **

Robotnik growled in dissatisfaction. "Of all the…continue what you are doing, and step it up! I have other matters to attend to!" Robotnik signed off, and contacted Lust by a radio he loaned her. "The hedgehog is coming your way! Stop him! But do not kill him!...I want that pleasure for myself."

"**And what about you?"** Lust asked over the other end.

Robotnik replied "I intend to wait here for the alchemist. I would like to be here when…or perhaps, if…he hands over what he has taken from me."

"**Just make sure you don't kill him…we need him as well…"** Lust ordered him.

Robotnik looked at his radio curiously. _"They're enemies, and yet they need him and his brother? Well, it's no concern of mine…I suppose it's something else we have in common…" _Robotnik replied "Very well. But, I don't suppose I'm not allowed to hurt him?"

"_As long as his alchemy is intact, we don't care what happens to him_." Lust replied.

Robotnik couldn't help but notice Envy let out a soft, irritated growl. "I'll deal with Elric. And I've a surprise for whoever reaches the princess first. I'll have Crocbot deal with the rest. And, if you would please, stop the hedgehog! Robotnik over and out!"

* * *

Ed looked at all the obstacles between him and the citadel. "Great. You know, if you wanted me to come to you so badly, you could have helped me get there." Ed knew it was fruitless, especially when considering the freedom fighters were the cause of all the chaos on board. That didn't matter now, though; somehow, he had to make it across. Sonic, from what he'd been told, faced plenty of situations like these_…"If I were as fast and agile as Sonic…what would I do?"_ He pondered.

Noticing the poles with the propellers spinning, he got an idea. It wasn't a good one, but he didn't have time to waste coming up with anything better. Ed breathed deeply, and rubbed his hands together. "HERE I GO!" Ed sprinted towards a propeller pole close by, and leapt towards it, in between two spinning blades. Grabbing hold of the pole, he began spinning with it, fast enough for him to pull his body towards the outer axis. "AAAGGHHHH! THIS WAS AN EVEN DUMBER IDEA THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE!" Ed, confident he had a good grip on the pole, carefully eyed his rapidly spinning surroundings. When he felt he had a good sense of when and where he was going to be, he let go. For a person with all flesh limbs, the next step probably would've broken his arm. Thankfully, Ed's automail hung on to the proceeding pole and kept its integrity. It didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell though. "Grr!" _"I can't believe I have to do more of these…" _Ed gritted his teeth and bore the pain. Resisting the G-forces and the constant torque that felt like it was liquefying his insides, he scooted up the pole to where he could almost touch the next propeller. He then repeated the same process, until finally, he made it to the other side, at the base of the citadel.

Edward puffed himself up triumphantly. "Ha! Now, Botnik, it's time to face me, mano a…" He suddenly stopped his speech, as something rose up in his throat. Feeling something was about to give, he kept gulping to keep it down. Realizing that would be impossible, he ran over to an exhaust pipe and emptied his breakfast inside it. "Oh god…next time I pull a stunt like that, I'm taking some good meds with me…" he sickly commented.

Quickly regaining his composure, he made his way to a pair of electronic doors. Once inside, he realized he was inside an elevator, taking him up. _"This better work…Al, Sonic…I hope you guys know what you're doing."_ He thought darkly.

* * *

Knuckles enjoyed gliding over Rainbow Valley. The rainforest's bright colors were a wonder to behold, and Knuckles would never get tired of it on a nice day such as today. It was at times like these that he wished he could stay and enjoy the view. But responsibilities came first, and they were coming fast! "Okay, I hope Espio makes this easy for me…"

He touched down in the forest, looking for signs of the chameleons. As the name would suggest, they preferred to stay in hiding, and blend in with their surroundings. Even Espio, after all he and the other Chaotix have been through together, preferred to stay invisible until Knuckles would spot him. Not seeing him anywhere in the immediate forest, he set forth towards Espio's home. Somehow, he always managed to find him, much to the chameleon's irritation. He didn't know how, but he was somehow able to see how the light slightly blended around the chameleon when in stealth mode, and as such able to discern where he was. Knuckles finally came upon what to most would be an ordinary tree. But, Knuckles could see it; the bending of light showing the steps to a ladder, coated with some substance that allowed to blend with the immediate surroundings, just like the residents of the valley. _"Guess I'll check to see if he's home." _

Knuckles, seemingly climbing air, went up to Espio's tree house. Soon, he was inside a small but cozy cabin up in the tree. "Espio! You home!?"

Knuckles didn't need to shout, as he heard a book shut close to his side. A purple skinned chameleon, with a horn on his rostral area, looked at him. "No need to yell. I'm right here." He sighed. Getting up, he asked "So, how'd you find me this time?"

"Trade secret." Knuckles replied smugly. It was a game of his to keep the chameleon guessing. "Listen, can you meet me and the others at our usual spot in half an hour? Robotnik trouble again."

Espio groaned. "That guy just doesn't quit, does he?"

"Afraid not." Knuckles agreed in disgust. Walking towards the edge of the window, he told the chameleon "I'm going to go look for Archimedes. See you soon."

Almost ready, the guardian made haste as he glided above the canopy in search of his newest, and most mysterious ally.

* * *

"Missed me!" Tails shouted as a swatbot fired a laser at him. "Don't worry, though; I'd prefer it if you didn't kiss me!" Tails dodged blasts from more incoming swatbots. Every time he tried to move forward, the robots cut him off. "I better take care of these bots before proceeding any further."

Tails, noticing the ship's fuel lines above, had an idea. _"Okay, I'm going to need something sharp…"_ Hearing something leap from behind, Tails narrowly dodged a modified swatbot with buzz saws for hands. "Whoa! That was too close!" Realizing this new swatbot made it worse with all the normal ones surrounding him, Tails knew his timing for his plan had to be absolutely perfect. "I better put what Sonic taught me to good use…"

Quickly, he ducked under one of the platforms. **"Intruder cornered."** The head swatbot announced. **"Surround and retrieve. Or destroy."**

The swatbots positioned themselves at the edges of the platform, their lasers ready to fry anything in sight. The modified saw-swatbot positioned itself in the middle of the line, looking for the fox. Peering down a vent, he saw the young mobian's fur. **"Intruder detected. Proceeding with extraction now."** Its blades moved as it prepared to go to work.

Tails grunted as he wound his tails tight as he could. "This better work!" He released the muscles in his tails, allowing them to spin at 3 times their normal speed. As a result, the saw-swatbot was flown up to the ceiling, its blades cutting the fuel lines. Before it could fall, Tails burst from the vent, right in the middle of the swatbot platoon. The swatbots reacted, firing their lasers. One of which hit the leaking fuel above.

Quickly, Tails flew away as the robots were engulfed in flames. "On second that, maybe that wasn't such a good idea!" An inferno suddenly trailed behind Tails, the poor fox desperately trying to move faster. "Next time I pull something like this, I'm bringing Sonic along! He could get away from anything!" Tails found a fork in the road, and turned right, against the current of the air. Tucking himself into a corner, he curled up and braced himself for the flames. Thankfully, only a few made it his direction, and were quickly pulled back by the wind.

Sensing he was in the clear, Tails slowly stood. "Whew. That was too close for comfort! I think its best I don't tell Aunt Sally about this…"

Tails got up to fly again, but something large fell in front of him. Tails at first thought it was a stray swatbot, but upon hearing it grunt something with a boyish voice, he realized it was something else! "Al!"

Alphonse turned around to face him. "Tails! I'm glad I found you…though it doesn't help tell me where I am…" he said, looking around confused.

Tails replied "I'm kind of lost too, to be honest. But I know we're headed in the general direction of Sally's capsule. I remember reading the schematics off Nicole." Tails steadied himself as the ship suddenly shook. "We better hurry. I kind of blew up the ship's fuel supply. It should have an emergency power source, but I'd imagine it won't last long."

Alphonse stood, and said, "Well, if you're sure about it, lead the way."

Alphonse jogged down the corridor as he followed the fox in the air. Finally, they came across a capsule. "Is this it?" Alphonse asked.

"It should be." Tails said. "We just need to apply enough pressure on the gold top up there. That will cause it to release prematurely, and release Sally without any problems." Tails flew over, and began to push on the gold top. "AAGGHH! This one is a lot stronger than usual!" he cried as he pushed harder.

"Allow me." Alphonse walked over to the capsule and climbed on its sides, as the chamber was almost as tall as him. When he was nearly at the top, he lined up a punch on the top. Like a martial arts master, he made a couple of practice swings to get the feel of it, as if he was preparing to break a board. After 3 of them, he threw down his punch and pushed the top down to its limits.

Something began to click….

* * *

Sonic ran over a contorted pipe, doing a loop-de-loop, and slid under a tight space before he was made into a pancake by a nearby screw-top gear. It seemed like nothing would be able to stop him. However, his pace was interrupted by a sudden shaking and caused him to trip, rolling another 100 ft until he stopped, lying on his stomach. "Whoa! I knew Nicole was going to make things wild here, but that was ridiculous!"

Standing up, and dusting himself off, he took a good look at where he was. "Aw, shucks. As handy as being able to go anywhere in reasonable time is, it doesn't make up for the fact that I'm still lost!" Sonic began thinking, tapping his foot. "If only ol' chrome dome was nice enough to give me a clue…"

"S-Sonic? Is that you?" a weak, feminine voice called.

Sonic's heart nearly jumped out of his throat. _"No…it can't be…"_

Out of the shadows stepped Sally. However, it looked like she'd seen better days: her vest was in taters, her hair and fur were signed and matted, and she was showing off a fair amount of cuts. "Sally!" In a split second, Sonic was at her side, easing her to sit down. Sally cried on his shoulder as he helped her settle down. "Sal! Shh…shh…it's cool. I'm here for you." He hushed her, patting her back.

Sonic wanted to comfort her longer, but deep in Robotnik territory, that would have to wait. "How'd you escape?" Sonic asked her.

Sally had to take a couple of deep breathes before she could form a coherent sentence. "I had some tools in my pocket that Robotnik didn't bother to search for. I managed to break myself free." Sally sniffled again, and pressed her face against Sonic's shoulder. "Oh, Sonic…I was so scared…"

"It's cool, Sal." Sonic assured her. "It's going to be alright. I'm here for you."

* * *

The doors opened. Ed didn't hesitate to step forward into the dark room despite the high chance of an ambush he was sure was coming. "Robotnik!" he called. Holding up the case strapped to his back, hoping he'd be able to somehow see it, the alchemist knocked on it. "I brought what you've wanted, bastard! Now let the princess go!"

At first, nothing. Finally, Robotnik, somewhere in the darkness, spoke. **"Slide it in front of you.** **Quickly!"**

Ed put the case down, and pushed it with his foot. Suddenly, as he heard its grinding come to a halt, the lights snapped on. Ed squinted at the sudden brightness at first. When his eyes finally adjusted, he could see Robotnik across the hallway, inspecting the case's contents.

He pulled out the rock with his robotic hand, and took a closer look. "Hmm…it seems to be the genuine article." He placed the rock on a pedestal, which took it in.

"Good." Ed growled. He then transmuted his arm into sword form, and briskly walked towards him. "Now that you've got it back, I'm going to pay you back for what happened at your tower!" Ed broke into run, charging the dictator. However, the doctor made no attempt to defend himself. Ed thought nothing of it, and brought his sword down…and felt a wave of electricity run through his body. "ARRRRGGHHHH!" Ed felt his body fly back onto the floor hard, his being still tingling with paralyzing pain.

"Hahaha!" Robotnik cackled. "You are brilliant, young man, but with my technology, I'm one step ahead of you." Looking closer, Ed could see some form of light between him and the doctor. Tapping the field, he explained "This force-field is designed to keep you where I want you. One more touch with that metallic arm of yours, and I'd imagine your heart would burst. But, by all means you are welcome to try."

Finally regaining some control over his body, Ed managed to slowly rise to his feet. Looking behind him, he noticed that the way back was sealed with that same electrical energy as well. "So, if you don't want me anywhere near you, why go through all the trouble of keeping me here?"

Robotnik sneered. "Quite simply….revenge."

Ed then heard something up above move. Looking up, it seemed to be some kind of convex light. "It takes a few seconds to charge. But once it does…I recommend you move out of the way. And don't do something as rash as using your alchemy this time around. If you cheat, I will trigger the incineration in the Princess's chamber."

Ed growled. "How do you even know she's where you left her? Sonic and the others are after her; they may have already found her." he said, hoping to bluff his way out.

Robotnik typed a few buttons on his arm. "Because the capsule's scanners are measuring her body heat and heart rate at this very moment."

Ed only groaned. _"This guy has thought of everything."_

"Now…let's have some fun." Ed heard the bulb above make a high pitch squeal, and rolled out of the way. A beam of light fired where he once stood, and left a smoking black spot on the floor. "Well…it'll be more fun for me than you, I suppose." Robotnik chuckled.

Ed only stared at him with rage. "You better hope that one of those shots connects. Because the first chance I get, I'm bringing you and this ship down!"

Robotnik only scowled at him. "I must say, I admire your spirit…let's speed things up a bit!"

The bulb began to follow Ed at a faster rate, sometimes cutting him off. The bulb charged, and fired. Though Ed managed to backflip out of the way, it was closer this time around, as he noticed his red coat singed and burned on one of the edges. Ed prepared himself for the next round. _"Everyone…hurry!"_

* * *

Sonic held onto Sally as she tried to pull herself together. However, he knew they had to move, right now. Still, to find Sally in such a state on a routine mission…this wasn't like her at all. "Sal…Sal, come on, get up." He helped the princess to her feet. "Listen, I know you just went through hell, but we've got to get out of here. We've got to get our friends together, and blow this ship before it reaches the Floating Island!"

Sally took a deep breath, and finally seemed to have regained some of her usual composure. "Y-you're right Sonic! We have to stop Robotnik, above all else!"

Sonic smiled in approval. "Now that's the Sal I know. Come on!" he said, pumping his fist towards her. "Let's do it to it!"

Sally, however, only gave him a puzzled look. "Uh…right…" She hesitantly brought her fist towards his. After they touched, Sonic placed his fist on top of hers. Sally repeated the action, albeit slowly, as if it was her first time doing the shake. After that, she didn't do anything.

"Come on, Sal!" Sonic complained. "You forgot the last part!" he said, giving a thumbs down.

Sally smiled, as if feeling silly for having forgotten. "Oh yeah…" she said, repeating the action.

Then, without warning, Sonic uppercutted her. Though Sally staggered, she did not fall over, and Sonic hissed as he furiously rubbed his hand. "OW! If you were Sal, I'd advise you to go on a diet! Or cut back on the steroids, at least!"

Sally looked at him in shock, then her surprise turned into malevolence. "So…you to figured out who I was…" she said, her voice becoming deeper and scratchier.

Sally grew until her true form as Envy was revealed. "I guess I should stop this imitating you guys…I don't know you all well enough to fool any of you…" Envy cracked his knuckles as he smiled wickedly. "But, there is a brightside to this. I get to break you without holding back." He giggled.

Sonic only sneered. "I'd like to see you try." Suddenly, something caught Sonic's eye in a reflection on the floor. Objects rushing towards him. He had not time to verify what they were, so he ran across the floor, where spears landed where he was. "Hey! That's cheating!" Sonic looked straight ahead to see Gluttony waiting for him, his mouth wide open. "Whoa!" Sonic jumped up, and bounced off of the ravenous homunculi's head. "And that was just plain dirty! C'mon, guys! Whatever happened to fighting mano y hedgehog?"

Lust finally walked out of the shadows, retracting her claws. "We're here to fulfill our partnership and stop you. Dr. Robotnik requested we keep you alive, but at the rate you're moving, I can't guarantee that now. Besides, Gluttony is hungry and the most successful predators are those that hunt in packs."

Gluttony only drooled at the site of the hedgehog, causing him to shudder slightly. "And Sal?"

"Where Robotnik left her." Lust said nonchalantly. "We hoped you would make this easy on us and fall for a girl in desperate need of help…but it seems you're not quite that shallow."

Sonic only grinned as he checked his watch, and crouched down, as if he was preparing to race somebody. "Well, I think I have a little bit of time to kill…so let's play!"

Sonic took off, charging at the three immortals.

* * *

"Uh…Tails?" Alphonse asked the fox. "Is this thing supposed to have eyes?" Al had a strange feeling he would never get used to or understand the technology in this world.

The capsule seemed to have come alive as a panel slid open to reveal somewhat comical looking eyes giving them both a death glare.

"No...I was always told that if you press the top, it would open, and that would be the end of that!" Tails replied, equally in shock as was Al.

The machine sprouted two chains it controlled like tentacles, revealing maces at the end of each. "Well, I think this one is trying to make itself out to be an exception!" Al yelled in alarm.

The badnik in disguise slammed its weapons on the floor. Fortunately, both Tails and Al were too quick for it.

"Let her go, you overgrown tin can!" Tails ran forward and kicked the living egg chamber. All it did was sprain his toe and irritate the robot. "Well, that didn't work!" Tails yelped as he took to the air to avoid another strike; it seemed to be getting quicker as it followed their movements.

Al charged as well, trying various martial arts strikes. He managed to make a small dent by giving it his all into a kick. Even though Al never tired, he knew brute strength would be an unreliable way to crack it open, not if they still planned on rescuing the princess. Al then blocked a mace aimed for him with a cross block. Though he managed to protect himself, he was thrown back 10 feet and had a few nice dents in his arms. "We're not going to beat it! Not like this!"

Flying out of the way of another mace attack, Tails looked at his watch. "We've only got 10 minutes left!"

"Tails!" Al called as he cartwheeled away from another attack. "I've noticed that right before it attacks, its eyes flash! Keep an eye on his eyes! I'll need you to draw its attention!"

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to make an opening!" Al pulled a piece of chalk from his loin cloth, showing it to Tails.

Tails smiled, remembering how he and his brother used those circles to do seemingly impossible feats. "Got it! You can count on me!" he said, giving a thumbs up. Turning his attention to the living egg chamber, he shouted, "Hey, ugly! Yeah, I'm talking to you! You're so fat, that buttnik is qualified to be your aerobics instructor!" None could say if the robot was genuinely irritated by the fox's insult. But its reaction was predictable enough, as it took a swipe at Tails. He dodged, but this time the space between him and the spikes were at a much safer margin. _"He's right! Not only are those eyes are a giveaway for an attack, but when he does attack, it can't change direction! This is going to work!" _

As Tails continued taunting the stationary robot, Al ran up to it and got to work on the transmutation circle, inscribing it on the side. _"I can only guess at what material this is…but I'll have to try!"_ Just then, Al noticed a flash from the corner of his vision.

"Alphonse, look out!"

Al flipped out of the way as the egg chamber brought its mace down where Al stood only moments ago. _"Looks like it's aware of its surroundings at all times." _

"Have you finished the circle yet!?" Tails shouted as he dodged another strike by the skin of his teeth.

"Half way there!" Al said. "Keep him distracted! I'll get it down the next time for sure!"

* * *

Bunnie punched a hole through a swatbot, while St. John used a scrambler arrow to take out another one.

"Not bad." St. John said, feeling around his utility belt. "About time, to; I was almost out of arrows."

A multitude of damaged swatbots littered the immediate area. While it was generally unwise to take on so many at once, Bunnie's abilities and St. John's arsenal proved to be the deciding factors in their favor. "Well, sugar, you should find a weapon that does not rely on ammunition." Bunnie exclaimed to St. John's statement, holding her smoldering canon before returning her arm to normal.

The two, feeling it was time to move on, looked toward the citadel in front of them. "That it, hon?"

"If I remember the layout of the ship correctly, yeah, that should be it." The skunk confirmed.

"How much time we have?"

St. John took a quick glance at his watch. "Not long." He said. "Hurry, we better put a stop to this farce before it's too late."

As the two were about to make a sprint towards the citadel, some projectile landed in front of them, the explosion knocking them off their feet. Bunnie, flat on her back, turned around to see what shot them.

"**Sorry; I haven't had much practice in this tank body of mine!"** Crocbot gloated. **"Don't worry;** **I won't miss a second time."**

St. John rose with Bunnie. "Any idea who this bloke is?"

"I might have an ider, yeah." Bunnie said, dusting herself off. "If what Tails said was true about going to Downunda, that's Crocbot. One of Buttnik's sub-bosses."

"Sub-bosses, huh?" St. John asked rhetorically. "Well, we scrap this bucket of bolts, we'll put a major hurt on Ivo!" he exclaimed, slamming his hands together.

"**You better watch your tongue, vermin!"** Crocbot warned. **"I don't take kindly to folks who are all talk!"** he emphasized, pointing his barrel directly at the skunk.

"St. John." Bunnie interrupted. "Ah'd like to give this bot a thrashing as much as you do, but we don't have time for this. Sally girl is about to…"

"Correction." St. John said. "_You_ don't have time for this." Bunnie's eyes widened when she realized what the skunk meant. "With your strength, you're the best choice to rescue the princess. Go! I'll be fine!"

Bunnie, wasting no time, ignited the rockets in her feet, taking off.

"**You're not going anywhere!"** Crocbot shouted, taking aim. However, one of St. John's arrows hit the barrel of his tank, and plugged the hole with foam. Crocbot fired nonetheless, breaking the foam, but it was strong enough to cut the shot's power by half and send it at an odd angle. The canon ball scratched the Flying Battery's hull and rolled off the side. Crocbot looked down, seeing the skunk had another arrow in his crossbow. **"I guess I'll have to take care of you first!"**

* * *

Al stepped back as he activated the transmutation on the egg chamber…and nothing happened!

"Al! What the-!?" Tails dodged a swipe by the spiked balls before he could voice his confusion. "How come it didn't change!?"

Al caught one of the maces, but despite his strength, was being pulled towards the monstrosity as it tried to take its weapon back. "I can't transmute material if I don't know what it's made of! Quick! What is this stuff made of!?"

"Uh…metal?" Tails replied.

"Could you be a little bit more specific!?" the young alchemist yelled. Al was finally forced to let go of the mace, and was clubbed by the other. Al struggled to sit up, only to be bashed into the floor again. "Unless we determine this thing's composition, we'll never get Sally free!" he said in between blows.

Quickly, Al made some conjectures as he blocked the robot's attack. _"One way to narrow down a few suspects…"_ Al rose, and dove forward, seemingly trying to tackle the bot. Before it could react, Al quickly gave it a quick lift. As soon as he dropped it, he made a few estimates of its weight in his head. _"I'd say about 100 kg…perhaps a titanium-aluminum alloy?"_ Quickly, Al drew another circle. Kicking a mace out of the way, he began another transmutation. The alchemic energy produced light, but failed to produce results. "Oh no! NO!" Al screamed as he slammed his fist against the chamber, forgetting it would fight back.

The egg-bot managed to whack the suit of armor clean on the torso, and Al fell flat on his back. "Damn it!"

"Al!" Tails flew behind him and with great effort, helped him back to his feet. "Any clues on what that thing is made of?"

"Judging by the weight, I've a few guesses. But we don't have time for guessing games. Sally's only got 4 minutes left in that thing!" Al quickly brainstormed. "Quick, do you know of Robotnik's normal supplies?"

Tails hastily replied "No. Wait…" Tails then remembered something.

"What is it?"

"A long time ago, I went on my own to stop one of Robotnik's sub bosses from obtaining some supplies of his."

"Good! Were there any metals listed?" Al quickly asked.

Tails began to list them off. "Let's see…um…steel, chrome, nickel, caesium…"

"Wait a minute! That last one! What was it!?" Al asked.

"Caesium!" Tails replied as he pushed his large friend out of the way of a downward mace strike.

Alphonse smacked his helmet. "Of course! He couldn't have prepared that thing in advance! He needed to use some materials that could help him make a simpler machine!"

"What?" the fox asked, clearly confused.

"Caesium is an alkali metal; upon contact with water, it combusts!" Al explained as he knocked another mace away with a kick.

Tails, despite his lack of understanding of chemistry, followed. "I get it! So, all we have to do, is pour water over that thing…"

"NO!" Al protested. "That will cause the whole thing to explode and take Sally with it! But, I think I know how to buy us some more time…"

"Leave it to me!" Tails flew towards the living chamber, diverting its attention. "Hey, your momma's so fat, she can't find whatever she spilled!"

The robot lashed out, losing its attention on Al. _"Now's my chance!"_ Quickly, he drew another circle, and began another transmutation. But this time, he didn't try to transform the metal; he transformed the water inside into ice.

Then, the robot's eyes suddenly flashed red, causing Al to back away. "Okay! That may have made things worse for us…but at least I bought Sally a bit more time!"

"Can you open it up now!?" Tails asked as a spike grazed his cheek.

"Maybe." Al replied. "But even with the water inside frozen it's still going to take me some time! Time I'm not sure we have! We need to find another way to crack this egg open!"

* * *

"So, you haven't seen Archimedes?" Knuckles asked a tiny fire-ant in the Lava Reef Zone.

"Afraid not." The creature said. "Archimedes has always kind of kept to himself. Not even our queen knows his whereabouts at all times."

Archimedes was an unofficial member of the Chaotix (he was a little old, not to mention small, compared to the other members of the group). But still, after the Enerjak fiasco, Knuckles learned he came in handy…not to mention he was a good friend. And since their mission was the same, it was only natural to include him. "Great. He's been getting on my case about tackling my problems on my own, and when I come asking for his help at the first sign of trouble…" The echidna quit his grumbling; he knew better than that.

"Do not worry, my boy." The fire ant he had disturbed said. "Whatever is troubling you, I'm sure Archimedes is hard at work on the same problem as well."

"I hope so." Knuckles mumbled. It seemed all he could do now was to have faith that Archimedes would come to his aid when needed. "Listen, if you do see him, just let him know I'm looking for him. You have a nice day." With that, Knuckles flew off.

"_I've done all I could. I just hope whatever Ivo has planned, we'll be ready."_

* * *

"So, what do you make of it, Locke?" Archimedes, the fire-ant that Knuckles was looking for, asked a friend in a secret base located on the floating island.

The one whose shoulder he was standing on was none other than Knuckles own father: Locke. He resembled Knuckles quite closely, except for his goatee and gi. He led Knuckles to believe he had disappeared, but he had always been watching him in secret for years. "Dr. Robotnik is a problem that must be dealt with. I'm sure the Freedom Fighters of the surface are doing everything they can, but there are no guarantees." Locke typed a few keys on his console as he evaluated the island's secret defense system. "All systems go." However, the elder echidna was afraid to utilize it; if he were to activate it, Knuckles would investigate the source, and discover both Haven and the Brotherhood. In his opinion, Knuckles was not officially ready to be ordained into the Brotherhood of Guardians. "I really hope this won't be necessary."

"I'm sure it won't; Knuckles has become quite capable." Archimedes assured him as he adjusted his coat and hat.

"I know." Locke agreed. "It was just hard to stand by and do nothing when Knuckles ignored the signs that the island was hijacked." His son had a rough start as a Guardian; he often only addressed the obvious while not stepping back to see the big picture. A fault that he still seemed to have trouble with.

Archimedes assured him "He knows Robotnik well now; he will be vigilant, I promise. Although, it wouldn't hurt to lend him a hand…"

"If that becomes absolutely necessary." Locke answered. Locke was the most reluctant of the guardians to break the code of secrecy. "But if he is truly to become a guardian, he must be able to rely on himself and not count on miracles."

"It seems a miracle may be what we need." A new voice said.

Locke spun in his chair to see one of his predecessors as Guardian: Athair, his grandfather. The old echidna sported a darker complexion than his descendants, and his uniquely colorful dreadlocks made him stand out. His tribal get up along with a cane, a small chaos emerald embedded in it also differentiated him from the other guardians, who dressed like they did in the modern age. "You." Locke said hostilely. "This is of no concern to you old man."

"I see you've gone back to your old attitude towards me, even after consulting me about your visions so many years ago." He sighed as he leaned on his cane. "No matter; but as I've said, it is wiser to safeguard a universe than one single pebble in its belly, and that is exactly what is at stake here."

Though Locke wanted to argue more, he swallowed his pride and decided to hear him out. To his credit, his grandfather came to bother them only when it was truly important. "What is it you sense exactly?"

"Visitors from another world." He stated cryptically.

"Visitors? You mean like…aliens?" Locke asked skeptically.

"Not in the sense you're thinking of." Athair answered him. "Not even the walkers fully comprehend what's happening, but it seems like they're from another universe entirely. And somehow, it seems our two worlds have been connected for ages, even before the walkers."

Locke then asked "And the allegiance of these beings?"

"Some light, some dark." Athair stated. "However, should our two worlds stay connected for much longer, it could mean the end of both."

Locke nodded. "Where are they?"

"They're on their way here."

Locke immediately spun back to his computers and used the satellite feed to focus on Robotnik's ship. "So, some of them have allied with the doctor." He sighed. "This day just keeps getting better and better."

"And the others on our side are working with the quickster and double-tail to stop him." Athair explained. "I know not the consequences their presence will bring…but I know whatever happens, it will change our world forever." Then, three astral-like beings appeared behind him, displaying almost prehistoric-looking tribal masks. The Ancient Walkers, Athair's masters. _**"How you heed my warning is up to you." **_With that, all four disappeared. Archimedes looked back to the Flying Battery on screen.

"So, Locke? What do you make of this?" he asked. "It seems this problem is much more complicated than we imagined."

"Stick to the plan." Locke answered. "If some of these beings are indeed on our side, we should wait and hope Knuckles has learned from his 'punch first and ask questions later' approach."

"I doubt it." The fire-ant sighed. "I've been trying to work on his temper, but that boy loves to fight."

"I know." Locke sighed in irritation. "Go to him; he will need you."

"Of course." With that, Archimedes teleported to meet Knuckles.

Locke then placed his palms together, staring at the screen. _"Now, let's see exactly what these visitors are."_

* * *

Envy landed a kick on Sonic, but thankfully the hedgehog's reflexes were fast enough to roll with the blow and make sure it wouldn't hurt any worse than anything Knuckles could throw at him. "Ow!" Sonic said as he rubbed his cheek. "Temper temper!"

Suddenly, Gluttony's large arms encircled the hedgehog. Sonic desperately tried to breathe, but Gluttony's strength was quickly squeezing the life out of him. "Can I eat him!?" Gluttony asked his family. "Please, let me eat him!"

"Hurry up and do it." Envy growled. "We don't have much use for him anyways."

"Actually, not yet Gluttony." Lust ordered him. "If we want to keep our partnership intact, we'll have to let the hedgehog live. But, perhaps it's best if we break a couple of bones."

Gluttony, though disappointed, proceeded to squeeze his prey tighter…and suddenly, Sonic went into his Sonic Spin, cutting up Gluttony and embedding several quills in his skin. Sonic jumped off him and yelled "Sorry, tubby! Hedgehog a la mode is not on the menu, and he's definitely NOT a toy!"

Sonic jumped to his side as one of Lust's claws tried to impale him, only managing to graze his cheek. "Enough of this! Capture him, now!" the Ultimate Spear commanded her brethren.

All 3 Homunculi ganged up on him, preparing to rip his limbs off. Sonic ran straight for Gluttony, and narrowly ducked from being swallowed up, sliding underneath him. "Sorry, but I'd like to play some more!" Sonic then raced behind Lust, noggied her hair and before she could lash out, jumped in front of her and slapped her twice across the face in a comical fashion. "Tag! You're it!" Lust screamed in rage, and once again tried to impale the mobian. Sonic, running the opposite direction, proved to be too fast for them, but Gluttony rammed into him and threw him off balance. Landing on his back, Sonic saw Lust coming after him once more. Her claw reached for him, and Sonic spread his legs, leaving nothing but an empty space for it to impale. "Yikes! Shouldn't that count as a foul!?" Sonic then noticed Envy above him, his fist cocked back. The hedgehog jumped to his feet, avoiding the blow. Sonic once again ran away…and bounced off the wall. His Sonic Spin nailed Envy square in the nose, a move he couldn't anticipate.

Sonic charged for Lust next. "Fool!" Lust made her move and once again attempted to skewer him, but Sonic was too quick for her this time around. Grabbing hold of one the claws, he raced toward her, slid under her dress, and took two of the claws with him. Pulled by the force, Lust doubled over and fell flat on her back.

"Sorry about that. I'd ask Sal to buy you another one…but you're a very bad girl!"

Lust stood, seeing her skirt in tatters. "You…!" She wasn't concerned so much about exposing herself, but she felt her dress was a part of her. After regenerating her clothes, Lust launched more spears, but Sonic ran out of the way before they could do any harm.

Sonic suddenly yelped in pain as something sharp sliced across his back. Sonic dodged a second swipe by leaping into the air, but a sharp sword-like blade still managed to scratch his cheek once more. Sonic landed on his feet to see Envy's arm in the shape of a sword. "Hey! Ed didn't tell me you could do that!"

Envy only smiled evilly. "Because I never had to show him before. And I'm going to make sure you don't get a chance to tell him!"

Envy's other arm transformed into a snake head, which snapped at Sonic. Sonic dodged easily, but he was beginning to understand the way these guys fought. _"He can hit a lot faster than that. Which means…" _Sonic suddenly jumped forward as Gluttony came in from behind and tried to take his legs. Thankfully, all he got was a tasteful of steel. Sonic than did a homing attack on Gluttony, which only caused him to bounce off his rubbery body.

Thankfully, that was just what Sonic intended. The blowback sent him flying once again to Envy's face. "Ah, come on!" Envy yelled as he held his nose.

From there, he went into a spin dash, and rolled against the wall. Lust once more tried to stab him, but to no avail. Sonic tried to run under her dress once again, but this time, Lust reacted a little bit differently than expected. Using her nail spears, she lifted herself off the floor, leaving Sonic to harmlessly pass by.

The hedgehog, not expecting the sudden lack of resistance, went into free fall and tumbled towards the edge. "Okay. I'll give you that one." He huffed. Gluttony was suddenly upon him, and it was all Sonic could do just to roll to the side. Scrambling to his feet, he prepared to make another run, but Envy kicked him 10 feet into the air. Sonic landed roughly, the landing knocking the wind out of him. It took all of his will power to keep himself from passing out. Suddenly, he saw Lust's spears right in front of him. Sonic avoided any fatal stabbings, but one of them scrapped his leg. The placement of the others efficiently locked his body to the wall. Another spear jettisoned straight between the eyes…and stopped by a hair's breadth.

Lust panted deeply, a menacing grin slowly forming on her face. "I underestimated you." She gasped, her breaths slowing down. "The good doctor was right; you ARE quite the formidable foe. I suppose we owe him an apology for doubting him."

"Oh no; it isn't me." Sonic suddenly said, smiling with no trace of fear. "Buttnik's just an easy target is all."

"You're pushing your luck." Lust warned him, pushing her spear into his head just enough to draw blood. "I suppose it doesn't really matter anyway, for I'm sure the good doctor has something planned-"

Before Lust could finish her sentence, Sonic suddenly spun like a tornado, breaking off her nails. "Ahh!" Lust held her hands close as her fingers regenerated themselves.

Sonic, however, only continued to spin, boring into the metal floor and kicking up sparks, which thankfully kept the homunculi at bay. Finally, he was out of sight, the only evidence of his presence a drilled hole into the floor.

Envy and Gluttony came closer and peered down the hole, desperately looking for him. "Where'd he go?"

A grating noise clued them in, as the metal wall suddenly burst open from 10 feet above them, revealing Sonic stepping out onto the railing above. "Ow, ow…" Sonic rubbed his head as he tried to recover from the ordeal; boring through metal was not exactly an easy thing to do.

"Get down here, right now!" Envy growled in rage. Not waiting for a reply, the green-haired homunculus leapt into the air, preparing to pounce on the hedgehog.

Sonic rushed to the other side of the railing, and while he waited for Envy to understand the only thing he broke was metal, gave his answer. "Just give me a sonic second." Sonic ran out of sight…and was right back in Envy's face. "Actually, give me a couple."

Envy slugged a right, only to hit the wall again. "Hey!" Envy called to his comrades. "Get your asses up here and help me!"

Lust and Gluttony complied, rising above floor level and preparing to run into Sonic. A whistling noise behind Lust drew her attention. "There you are!"

Lust made her motion to impale him, but Sonic stopped short. "Catch!" Sonic tossed a live wire in her direction, one he pulled out of the various consoles located in all areas of the ship.

Lust's spears stabbed it, and the electricity traveled throughout her body. "Auugghhh!"

Sonic rushed past her, zooming between Envy's and Gluttony's locations. In a manner he didn't expect, Gluttony managed to catch Sonic with a punch. Though Sonic managed to block it with both his hands, the force still pushed him into the door of a broiler room and sent him flying inside. Sonic did not panic, however. He only stood and smiled. Signaling for Gluttony to come over, he said "Come on, fatty. I'll give you something to chew on."

Gluttony took the bait and lunged at him. Sonic, of course, zipped behind him, and Gluttony was left with the gas chambers. Upon biting down on them, the room exploded.

"Useless!" Envy growled. "Come on, coward! Show yourself!"

Then, Envy felt his shorts being pulled over his head. "Wedgie!" Sonic called, giving his usual cocky smile. Envy, disoriented from the prank, stumbled blindly and punched wildly. Of course, he hit nothing.

Lust, still singing from the shock she was given earlier, rolled her eyes at the sight of Envy blinded by his own pants. "Here." Grabbing the hem of the shorts, she pulled them back into place. "Of all the ways to be outwitted…"

"Shut up." Envy growled back. Gluttony came out of the broiler room, his skin still on fire. Of course, like his siblings, he was recovering quite nicely. But that didn't change the fact that all of them felt infuriated beyond belief.

"_Now…"_ Lust thought as she looked around, believing Sonic would run into them any second now. _"Where is he going to be next…"_

"Hey! Yo! Over here!" The 3 homunculi looked down below to see Sonic back on the platform they were originally fighting on. "Sorry about that! It took longer than I thought to get down here!"

The 3 above only growled at him. Sonic then told them something that surprised them all. "Well, listen. This has been fun, but I've got to get going. Truth is I've only been using this distraction to find out where Sal is…the hard way! Not the most efficient, but it worked!"

The three homunculi blinked, and stared at each other. _"This whole time...?"_ they all thought.

"We'll do this again sometime, I promise!" Sonic said, signaling good bye to them. "Ciao!" He took off to his right, leaving the 3 alone in the room.

"Wow…" Envy just said in disbelief. "That didn't go as I expected."

"Nothing we can do now." Lust sighed. "Come on; it's not the outcome we would have preferred, but we've done all we can."

Accepting their humiliation, the Homunculi left to find Robotnik.

* * *

Al cross blocked the eggbot's blows, but they were making pretty significant dents in his armor. To make matters worse, Al had no chance to counter attack. The robot was getting desperate to finish its function, and the spiked maces rapidly increased in speed. Al couldn't get any closer, and Tails desperately tried to maneuver into the robot's space.

Tails took a chance when he saw a small opening, and dived behind the robot. However, the eggbot spotted him, and knocked him out with a wide sweeping arc before he got too close.

"Tails!"

The eggbot prepared a coup de grau…but when the mace landed, no blood spilled. Sonic the Hedgehog seemingly materialized in front of Al, carrying Tails in his arms. "Whew! That was close!" Tossing Tails to Al, he said "You did good, kid. But let me show you how it's done!"

Sonic ran around the eggbot, the monstrosity desperately trying to turn him into a blue pancake. Sonic spun faster and faster, making it look like a blue ring surrounded the robot. Then, he seemingly vanished.

"Right here!" The eggbot noticed Sonic right on top of it, and reacted accordingly. Fortunately, it's cognitive skills weren't great and didn't realize the consequences of its actions. Sonic leapt off at the last second, leaving the eggbot to damage nothing but itself. It's other arm went limp, and its body burst open like a balloon.

"And that is how it's done, Al." Sonic said smugly.

Quickly, Al and Tails, who had woken up, rushed to the eggbot to inspect it's insides. To the relief of all 3, Sally was inside, unharmed aside from any injuries the homunculi inflicted on her previously. "Sonic!" Sally made a motion to hug Sonic, but fell over when she realized she was still tied up.

"Here, allow me." Sonic began to undo her ropes. "Sorry, Sal. You must have been scared." He said sincerely.

Sally only smiled, grateful for having friends coming to her in her time of need. "Of course. But I knew you'd come for me!"

Sonic chuckled slightly. "Well, I can't take all the credit this time around. If it weren't for Al here, I don't think any of us would have made it in time." Al twitched, showing his shock. "Don't be modest, Al! Look, we all went over the time limit!" Sonic showed his wrist watch, indicating that the timer finished. "It's been this way for at least 2 minutes. I may not know exactly what you did, but I do know your alchemy saved Sal's life."

Al scratched the back of his helmet, chuckling nervously. "Oh, it's nothing…"

Sonic finished untying Sally. While she massaged her wrists, Sonic reached into his backpack. "Here." Sonic handed her Nicole. "Rotor wanted me to give her back; figured we might need her."

Sally nodded, and opened her up. **"It's good to see you are alright Sally."** The AI said.

"It's good to see you too, friend."

* * *

"NOO!" Robotnik screamed, smashing his fist against the console as he observed Sally's rescue. "Those monsters have failed!"

"Good to know." Ed panted out as he leaned on his knees.

Robotnik looked back at him in irritation. "I wouldn't celebrate just yet. You're still in my trap. And while you've done well to avoid a fatal blast so far, you're getting tired. In fact, I doubt you can dodge just one more."

Ed only grinned at his challenge, and rose. "Take your best shot."

Robotnik charged the beam on the ceiling again. "I suppose you'll be a good target as any to take my rage out on…"

Before it fired, Ed clapped his hands and placed them on the floor. The Alchemic energy blinded Robotnik for a split second, allowing Ed to move back a couple of inches. "You little ingrate…!" Robotnik fired…and the beam went through the floor, and blew a large hole in the ship. "What? NO!" Edward had altered the composition of the floor; its refractive properties were gone!

The lights went dead, and the force field that separated them fizzled out. Robotnik didn't waste time; before Ed could have a chance to attack him, Robotnik ran towards an escape elevator.

As soon as the doors were closed, the pod was washed with a red light, and began to descend. Seeing if anything could be salvaged from this mess, he contacted Snively. "Snively! Damage report!"

"**Sir, I don't understand!"** Snively screamed on the other end. **"The room you were in should have been able to deflect any beam, no matter its power!" **

"It was that cursed Alchemist. Now tell me how bad it is down there, NOW!" Robotnik demanded.

"**I finally fixed the virus, for all the good it will do now! We have a full breach, our reactors are destroyed, we've suddenly lost our primary fuel source and we're losing altitude, fast! We must abandon ship!" **

"For once, I couldn't agree with you more Snively." Robotnik sighed, any optimism to save the ship gone.

"**But I do have some good news, sir!"** Snively suddenly stated. **"The Floating Island is in sight! Using our personalized ships, we can reach it!"**

A new smile slowly formed on his lips. "Hmm. That is good news. Inform our new friends; we're abandoning ship and continuing with our destination!"

Robotnik cut off the line, and leaned against the wall. "I think it's best I do not mention to the Homunculi that I tried to kill their enemy when they specifically told me not to…" Looking at the case he carried with him under his arm, he smile broadened slightly. _"If nothing else, at least I still have this…"_ Opening it up, it looked like it was indeed the disorganezero ore. Taking it out of his container, he brought it closer to his face. "With this, Robotization will be back online in no time." Suddenly, the changing colors ceased. "What's this!?" When it became black as coal, it began to crumble. _"He…he tricked me!"_ he thought it disbelief.

He clenched his trembling fist, and yelled out his terrible rage within. "I HATE THAT ALCHEMIST!"

* * *

St. John was taking cover under a destroyed turret as Crocbot continued to blast away at him. **"COWARD! Is this all the Freedom Fighters of Northamer have to offer!?"**

St. John growled. _"You wouldn't be saying that if I had more arrows."_ He was embarrassed to say his last arrow missed its mark.

Suddenly, he felt the ship drop so fast it nearly sent him flying. "Whoa!" St. John grabbed hold as the ship stabilized.

Crocbot, however, toppled over on his side. **"Of all the-!" **

"**Attention! All personnel abandon ship! This is not a drill! Repeat, this is not a drill!" **

Crocbot panicked and immediately rightened himself up. **"I really should get a submarine attached to this tank…"** Crocbot wheeled to the edge, and leapt off. His wheels extended to the sides like cumbersome wings, and rockets underneath slowed his fall.

St. John knew he should be getting off soon to. The question was how. Seeing a swatbot mount some kind of hovercraft, St. John sprinted for it. St. John leapt from his platform, and bashed the bot's head with an elbow as he descended. While its center of mass was off balance, he threw it off. "Sorry mate."

Hijacking the controls, he flew away from the falling ship, and towards the mysterious island in front of him that he only heard about from the other freedom fighters. _"So, this is the famous Floating Island._ _I wonder what this Knuckles bloke is like."_

* * *

"**Abandon ship!"** the alert repeated inside.

Sonic, Sally, Tails and Al heard the alarm as they got themselves together. "Whoa, Nicole. That was some virus." Sonic commented.

"**Yes. Well…"** Nicole replied in an uncharacteristically mobian like manner. **"…this wasn't me!" **

"Say what?"

"**Snively managed to quarantine my virus! Something else caused this explosion!" **

The 3 mobians looked towards Al…who then palmed his face. "EDWARD!" Sighing, he explained "He always winds up destroying things when they belong to a bad guy and he doesn't like them!"

"It might be for the best." Sonic said, looking around as parts of the ships began to collapse. "And I know I'm usually not the one to say this, BUT COULDN'T HE WAIT FOR 5 MINUTES!?"

Sally acted quickly to formulate a plan. "Nicole! Our coordinates, quick!"

"**55 degrees north and 20 degrees west, Sally." **

Sally grabbed Sonic's arm ecstatically. "That's the Floating Island's current coordinates! Sonic, we made it!"

"Yeah. Here's hoping Knucklehead is in a good mood." The hedgehog replied with a dose of sarcasm.

"Sugah-hog! Sally girl!" Everyone turned to see Bunnie running towards them. "Thank goodness y'all right!" she yelled as she hugged them both. "Now, what the blazes happened here?" she asked observing the pandemonium.

"Ed blew up the ship." Al groaned.

"The good news is that we're near Knuckles home!" Tails said. "We can fly from here!"

"One problem: I CAN'T FLY!" Al exclaimed, pointing to himself.

Bunnie walked over and gave his armor a tap. "It'll be a challenge, but I'll be sure to take care of that sugar! This arm o' mine can make anything possible!" Bunnie clasped her left shoulder and raised her roboticized arm proudly. "Come on!"

Takings Al's hand, the freedom fighters and alchemist escaped to find an appropriate exit.

* * *

The Homunculi began to race as they passed several swatbots, running around various parts of the ship. They understood well enough the term "Abandon Ship". The problem was understanding the protocol to evacuate when your ship was in the air.

"Ah! There you are!" The 3 turned to see Snively running up to them. "Phew…" Hunching over, he began to pant furiously. "Just give me a second to catch my breath…"

Snively screamed in surprise when Envy picked him up. "Take us to where we need to escape to, you little creep!"

"E-e-e-escape pods are all over this floor! There's enough room for one person, and there should be plenty for all of us!"

Just then, the part of the ship they were on broke off. Many parts of the walls exploded and fell to the ocean below, nearly sucking them up into the air current. The 4 quickly looked for one of the pods before gravity would take its toll. They found one intact, and only one. They then eyed Snively, who was looking nervous. _"S-Surely, they're not thinking…"_ Envy tossed him aside, and he and his family crammed into the pod. _"They were!" _

Snively ran up to the specially enforced plexi-glass window. "Open up!" he screamed, pounding on the glass. "I'm small! There will be plenty of room for all of us!"

"Afraid not." Lust said, unconcerned. "Gluttony is making this tight as it is." She grunted as Envy and Gluttony tried to readjust themselves. "Sorry; it's just bad luck on your part."

"NOOO!" Snively furiously pounded on the door. When he saw the rockets ignite, Snively desperately planted himself on the window and hoped he would stick. _"I hope this plays out like in the comic books I hid from Uncle Julian!" _The pod took off, as the air drowned out Snively's screams.

* * *

Sonic, Sally, Tails, Bunnie and Alphonse finally made it outside. Alphonse shielded himself from an explosion that threatened to throw him and everyone else off. The whole ship was coming to pieces, and one couldn't say exactly how much time they all had left.

Quickly scanning the horizon, Sonic spotted the Floating Island close by. "Perfect! We're right on top of it!" Turning to Tails, he began giving his orders. "Okay, listen up everyone! Tails, you carry Sal to safety! I'm counting on you!"

"Wait a minute!" Sally protested. "You can't just expect me to be carried to safety while you-"

"Got a better plan, Sal?" Another explosion rocked the ship, this one more intense than the last. Taking the silent cue that she conceded to him, Sonic continued. "Bunnie, you carry Al as well. I'll take care of myself! We clear?"

"Crystal!" Bunnie replied. Taking Al's hand, she said "Come on, Sugar!"

The two took off, while Tails prepared to fly. "Be safe, Sonic!" Sally said before she took hold of his hands and was hoisted off.

"Cool." Sonic exclaimed, tapping his foot. "That's done. Now, for the hard part…" The ship broke apart, and rubble littered the air. In all the chaos, for just a split second, Sonic saw a path to safety. "Bingo!" Sonic took off, and leapt off the edge. He planted himself onto one piece of rubble, and jumped towards the next. He repeated this pattern, with the debris perfectly lined up for him, until he finally reached the edge of the island. "Sweet! I'd give that a perfect 10!" To be fair though, he almost always gave himself a perfect score for his stunts. "Now, where did Sal and the rest go…?"

"Ed! ED!" Hearing Al's cries, Sonic raced towards the source to see his friends staring at the warship's continued destruction and descent. Once he reached them, he could see Sally and Bunnie restraining Al. "Send me back up! I've got to find Ed!"

"I'll get him!" Tails said as he twisted his tails. "Leave it to me!"

* * *

A hatch somewhere on the ship opened up to the outside, a gloved hand pushing it out of the way. "Crap!" Ed shouted as he emerged. "I gotta get out of here!" Quickly sprinting blindly, Ed dodged fire and shrapnel that would have torn his body apart as he desperately tried to find a way off.

Finally, he reached the edge with nowhere to run. But that wasn't what caught his attention. An island in the sky was what caught his eye. "Holy-! The Floating Island! It's real!" Nearly being pushed off the edge by another explosion, Ed waved his arms in a desperate attempt to maintain balance. "I'll ask questions about it later! But, how am I going to get off!? It's not like I can just grow wings and-"Ed stopped himself when he saw the edges of his now tattered jacket flutter in the wind. Ed looked back and forth between them and the island. Groaning, he finally shouted "Well, it's not like this is the most impulsive thing I have done!"

"_Actually, it is."_ He told himself.

Backing up a bit to give himself a running start, Ed leaped off the edge. Quickly feeling gravity taking effect, he clapped his hands and grabbed the hem of his jacket. It suddenly ballooned itself into something much wider and lighter. Thanks to his self-made parachute/wings, Ed was beginning to slow down…but not enough for a safe landing! Fortunately, Ed found he still had some control over which direction he wanted to go. _"Stay calm…"_ He rotated himself to the right, his descent still not slow enough for his liking. Ed looked towards one of the many jungles on the island, and gritted his teeth. "I'm going to be sore in the morning…but that's better than being dead!" Ed then aimed himself towards the trees as the entire battery behind him blew up.

* * *

"ED!" Al screamed as Sonic and Tails held him back. "No…" he began to despair.

"Wait, he's alive!" Sally yelled excitedly as she looked through a small telescope. "He used his alchemy to turn his cloak into a glider!" Her smile slowly turned into a frown. "He seems to be having a bit of trouble controlling it…"

As soon as Ed was in everyone's view, he flew past them. It was hard to say for certain, but it sounded like he was screaming "Ahhhhh…"

Sally quickly ordered Sonic and Tails "Follow him!" The two mobians obliged and sped off into the jungle.

* * *

"Whoa…Whoa!" Ed was skirting the canopy of the jungle as his altitude began to steadily drop. Though he was counting on it to break his fall, he had to make sure it wouldn't break his neck as well. Soon, it seemed he had no choice but to land. "Oh no, here it comes…!" His feet finally caught a branch, and he was sent tumbling across the treetops. "Ow, ow OW!" He finally fell through the canopy, and his torso hit a branch straight in the solar plexus. From there, he began tumbling to the floor below, each branch a painful greeting.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Ed fell to the ground face first. His body twitched as it struggled to move amongst all the pain. "Oh…I'm surprised I'm not dead…"

"Thank the Ancients you are not; you are not meant to die here…"

Ed got his face off the ground and stared at the weirdest creature he had ever seen. He couldn't identify the individual's species at all; all he could readily tell was judging from the wrinkles on his head that he was very old. The creature also seemed to have dreadlocks hanging from his brown fur, each covered with candy-like rings. His cane and fur tunic gave the impression of a primitive but wise being. "And just what are you?" Ed asked as he strained to stand.

"It does not matter." The mobian replied. "Your journey in this world has now become a part of your destiny. And now, you must defend this world from the evils of yours, as well as yours from ours."

Ed looked at him oddly. "Wait. You know about my…situation?"

The creature only turned away and answered cryptically "That of yours, and your brother. And your powers. A wondrous gift. But with all that power, you will still need those that fight for freedom here, as they now need you."

Ed looked away, scratching his head. _"What's with this guy?"_ "Yeah, I kind of gathered…" Ed turned to look at him, only to see he was gone. Not a trace of him anywhere, not even footprints. "Weird."

Ed flexed his automail arm, and for a split second, felt it stall. "Jeez! I better get back home soon and have Winry have a look at this…if it breaks again, she'll kill me…"

Little did he know, he was being watched. _"An overlander!? He's probably with Robotnik!"_

As Ed proceeded to brush himself off, he suddenly felt himself tackled from behind. Whatever it was, it had some sharply pointed ends. Ed managed to find his footing and turn around, but his attacker threw a wild haymaker to his temple. Despite the small size of the attacker, he was apparently very strong. And vicious. Ed couldn't get a good look at his assailant due to the punches his face was bombarded with. "GET OFFA ME!" Ed transmuted the ground beneath him, and sent his attacker reeling with a column to the stomach.

Upon observation, Ed quirked his eyebrow. It was another creature almost identical to the one he saw just a moment ago. This one was obviously younger, like Sonic wore virtually no clothes and his fur was a bright red color. Ed also made note of the crest on his chest. "Listen, I don't want any trouble!" Ed said to him.

"That's too bad…" The creature replied, recovering from the blow and smashing his fists together.

Ed's eyes nearly widened looking at his gloved fists; they were like boxing gloves with spurs. _"No wonder his punches hurt so much."_

"…cause you sure got it. In the form of Knuckles the Echidna no less!"

* * *

I suppose the next chapter will be quite…predictable. But I'll do my best to make sure it will be fun! Thanks for sticking with me, and I'll do my best to turn out the next chapter sooner!


	9. Chaos Across Dimensions

Hey! Hope none of you had to wait too long for this next chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

"Echidna!?" Ed exclaimed. Well, that might explain why he couldn't pick off this guy's species off the bat; he never even heard of any such thing in his world.

"Get ready!" Knuckles shouted as he charged with his fists poised to do major damage.

Ed narrowly blocked his attacker's punches, and the force was enough to bruise his flesh arm. "Ugh!" Ed countered with a left kick, sending Knuckles to the ground.

However, it didn't seem to do much good; despite his size, this red thing apparently could take quite a beating. "A metal leg?" he asked. "Now I know you're working for Robotnik!" Knuckles ran forward for another punch, again blocked by Ed's metal arm.

However, the impact caused Ed's arm to cry a sickening metallic screech. _"That can't be good!"_

"A metal arm too, huh!? Why don't you just throw yourself into a roboticizer already and get it over with!" Knuckles pushed Ed's arm out of the way and punched him square in the nose, sending the alchemist back a few feet.

Ed held it as he tried to stop the bleeding. "You little…!" Before Knuckles could attack again, Ed transmuted the ground below him and constructed an iron staff. Before Knuckles could get too close, Ed forced him back with a horizontal strike to the ribs.

"Ow…" Knuckles helped himself back up, and blocked another incoming strike from the staff. "What kind of magic is this!?" he shouted.

* * *

Sonic ran through one of the many jungles on the island, grabbing a vine to swing across a ravine. Tails trailed closely behind him in flight. "Sonic, you think Ed and Knuckles…?"

"Well, I'll tell you one thing: a peacemaker ol' knucklehead is not!" Sonic stated. Touching down on the forest floor, he navigated through the twisted roots best he could. Speed wouldn't do him much good if he tripped. "Don't worry about it, though; I'm sure Ed can handle him."

Meanwhile, behind them, Al sprinted, Sally riding on his back. "Amazing!" Al exclaimed as he observed the island's ecosystem. "How is this even possible?" he asked, referring to the island's ability to float.

"Long story." Sally told him. Despite how much she trusted and cared for Al, she chose not to reveal the secrets of the chaos emeralds. They were not hers to tell, especially when the land depended on them. "I just hope Ed isn't having a run-in with the guardian!"

"Guardian?" Al asked.

"For centuries, this island has been protected by a family of echidnas, the task passed down from father to son! And while he's on our side...he's been known to have quite a temper." Sally sighed.

Al would have cringed if he had the muscles for it. "That's not good. Ed needs to work on his temper as well." he groaned.

* * *

Ed leg checked Knuckles' kick with his metal leg, prompting the red animal to fly back. "You're good." he huffed, ignoring the searing pain in his thigh. "I'm better."

Knuckles quickly charged again. Ed transmuted the ground in response, forming clasping hands in an effort to restrain him. However, at the last second, Knuckles took off into the air. "WHAT!?" Ed screamed. _"How the hell can he do that!?"_ Ed looked up in the sky, unable to see him anywhere. "Where'd he go?"

Ed's question was answered as Knuckles swooped in from behind and collided into his back. Ed was sent rolling and collided into a tree upside down. "Why you-" Knuckles charged again as Ed righted himself and avoided the blow, making note of the 2 holes in the tree trunk. Quickly, he transmuted a barrier in front of him...and received another punch to the face as Knuckles' fist broke through. "Ohmph!" Ed stumbled back further into the forest.

"Looks like your bag of tricks is running on empty!" Knuckles said as he put up his guard.

"Don't be so sure!" the alchemist replied.

Ed began another transmutation, but it wasn't anything Knuckles was expecting. The trees suddenly wrapped around him, pinning his arms and lifting him off the ground so he couldn't get good footing to use his lower body. "What the-?" Knuckles kicked wildly to get out of the trees' grasp, but the grip held him tight.

"You're going to be there for a while." Ed said as he grinned upon seeing the strange animal struggling like a maniac. He then turned around and waved "Don't worry, I've transmuted them to only last a couple of hours."

"Hey!" Knuckles screamed as he kicked his legs wildly. "Get back here!"

Ed only rolled his eyes at the echidna's stubbornness. _"Well, I better find out where Sonic and Al have landed..."_ Then, he felt someone grab him from behind in a half-nelson. "HEY! WHAT GIVES!" Ed turned to look behind him, but saw nothing. But he was sure something...or someone...was holding him back. Ed tried to shake off his restrainer, but he was wise to move with Ed. _"Damn! He's not even letting me bring my hands together!"_

Knuckles watched as it all happened. As embarrassed as he was to be seen like this by his friends, what was important was that the intruder wouldn't be getting away. And getting caught by a chameleon was a difficult trap to get out of.

"Knuckles! How the heck did you get yourself tangled up like that!?" Mighty the Armadillo, a mobian with strength even greater than Knuckles' exclaimed as he walked up behind him.

"Wasn't me." Knuckles said to defend his pride in vain. "Our guest here seems to have some rather interesting abilities."

"Is that so?" Mighty asked as he observed Ed finally throw off a still camouflaged Espio.

"Ahem. A little help here?" Knuckles asked impatiently.

"Whoops. Sorry about that." Mighty took hold of the branches and pulled them apart with ease.

Knuckles touched down, and brushed off his shoulder. "Thanks. Now..."

Mighty held him back. "Hold on Knuckles. Charmy and Vector will be here in a second."

"Oh." Knuckles calmed down and watched. If Vector in particular was going to do what he thought he would, it was best to stay clear.

Soon, Espio revealed himself to Ed. "And just what are you!?" Ed yelled. Espio didn't respond; instead, he just leapt into the trees.

Suddenly, a blaring sound exploded out of nowhere, and brought Ed to his knees. Ed covered his ears in an attempt to block out the horrendous sound, but it was too loud. Soon, Ed found himself swept off his feet and into a tree. "That's what you get for messing with my main man!" Some lizard-like creature boasted, pointing a strange headphone-like device at him.

Ed grunted as his back throbbed with pain. "Why you-" Suddenly, something quick moved around him and wrapped a vine to his body, tying him to the tree. "Hey! What gives!"

Soon, a cute bee-like creature flew in his face. "We got him, Knuckles!" he called to the guardian.

"I can see that." Knuckles said as he walked amongst his friends. Then, he got up in Ed's face. "Princess Sally warned me Robotnik was plotting something again. So, what is it?" he questioned him.

"Like I know!" Ed yelled. "I'm just as lost as you!"

Knuckles cracked the the bony spurs protruding from his gloves. "You're a terrible liar. Try again!" he demanded.

"I'm not with that fat-ass! I'm with Princess Sally!" Ed yelled.

Knuckles only twitched his eyebrows, and grabbed Ed's throat. Cocking his fist back, he got ready to pummel him. "Well, their goes your-"

"Knuckles! Stop!" Some kind of bug with a jungle explorer's outfit suddenly appeared on his the red mobian's fist.

"About time you got here, Archy!" Knuckles exclaimed. "Where've you been?"

"That's not important!" the ant said, deflecting the question. "I know for a fact that this overlander is not our enemy!"

Before Knuckles could respond, he was suddenly sent flying into the forest as Sonic rammed him with a fist. "Yo, Ed!" Sonic exclaimed, unconcerned about Knuckles and taking the time to wave to him. "See you met the Chaotix!"

Ed sighed. "Yeah; today has been nothing but chaotic!" Ed pulled slightly on the ropes, figuring out they were a lot tougher than they looked. "Um, now that it's settled I'm one of the good guys, can you all please untie me?"

Before a reply could be made, Knuckles suddenly tackled Sonic and the two animals rolled across the ground while exchanging blows. "They do that often, don't they?" Ed asked exasperated as his own predicament was forgotten.

"Far as I can tell." Archimedes replied, disappointed in what he saw.

"Now, about my-"

"Ah, yes. Sorry about that. Hold still, please; it would be counter-productive if I burned you." Archimedes warned him.

Ed's eyes widened. "Hey, what-" Without warning, a small flame exploded from the insect's mouth. Ed did as he was told and kept still; meanwhile, the fire burned through the thick vine until it came apart with orange, flaming ends. "Uh, thanks." He stood and brushed himself, commenting "I didn't know ants could do that."

"I'm a fire-ant." Archimedes explained.

"Ah. That explains it." Not really, in his view; Ed was swarmed by fire ants before and while it felt like his skin was on fire, no flames were actually produced. Then again, he associated himself with sentient animals that had special abilities none of the ones from his home had, plus a dragon. He supposed he should be getting used to this by now.

"Ed!"

Ed turned to see Alphonse, with Sally riding on his back, run towards him. "Way to go, Al!" Ed exclaimed. "Mission accomplished!"

While the Chaotix took defensive stances at the sight of Alphonse, the living suit of armor stopped and set Sally down. "You made quite a mess up there." Al said, referring to the Flying Battery's explosion.

"Heh. He deserved it." Ed bragged.

Tails then swooped down behind them. "Uh, Aunt Sally?" he asked. "Don't you think we should be stopping them?"

All eyes turned to the brawling hedgehog and echidna. Knuckles landed 3 hay makers right in Sonic's face, causing the insectivore to stumble. Knuckles was about to charge with another, but Sonic spun like a drill and disappeared into the earth, causing the monotreme to fall back. Almost instantly, Sonic followed with a Sonic Spin erupting from the ground and onto Knuckles' chin. Knuckles landed flat on his back, but quickly got up. "Why I outta-!"

Sally sighed as she watched the ensuing brawl. "You're right. I better put a stop to this..."

* * *

Robotnik, having finally having touched down on the island floor, stepped out of his pod and brushed himself off. "Wonderful." he muttered sarcastically. "It seems I will have to do this the hard way." Tapping a few buttons on his cybernetic arm, he got a layout of the Floating Island, his location and that of all his robots, though he wouldn't be able to find any of the homunculi. On his first visit here, he made sure to get a schematic diagram of the place and it's various sites. _"I'm a few miles west of the 'Launch Base' ruins."_ He noticed that site had all the makings of a space station. Why it hadn't been used for centuries, he couldn't fathom. But what mattered that there was enough material to build a space shuttle; he had to go into orbit to find the object...or person...of his desire. And, he predicted he wouldn't have much time before Knuckles caught on to his scheme. Though he was confident he could outwit the guardian, the less hassles the better.

He then observed the locations of all swatbots on the island. _"Good. It seems I still have a fair number of allies." _It looked like Snively and Crocbot had made it as well. He typed in the code to call his only living assistant. "Snively, come in." he said.

"**S-S-Snively reporting for duty, sir."** an exhausted, squeaky voice spoke from the other side of the com.

"Are the homunculi with you?"

"**Y-Yes sir. You wouldn't believe-" **

"We will all meet at these coordinates." Robotnik interrupted, specifying the Launch Base Ruins. "And hurry! I fear we haven't much time."

Robotnik switched it off, and headed east. "Somehow, I doubt it will be that simple..." Robotnik then reached behind his back and produced what seemed to be some gold collar. "But once I get this on...I suspect things will become much easier..." Robotnik cackled softly as he imagined the possibilities of what he could do with the collar.

* * *

Of course, things of significance to this tale weren't occurring only on Mobius.

Back on Edward's home world, a girl was waiting for someone at a train station. She was tall, pretty, and had her blond hair tied in a pony tail. Underneath her jacket she wore a simple white tank top and black skirt. The only other distinguishing feature was that she wore two sets of earrings; two studs and a pair of more traditional earrings on each ear. They were given to her as presents by the Fullmetal brothers themselves...and she was worried sick about them. _"Where in the world are they!?"_ Winry Rockbell screamed in her mind as she clenched her fists. _"Ed is so going to get it...and that's assuming his arm is still in one piece!"_ Winry didn't know if there was anything she hated more when the two brothers went off on their own without telling her, but ruining her craftsmanship was a close second. And it happened often.

Another train pulled up to the tracks, but Winry wasn't interested in getting on; she was waiting for someone to help her find her two troublemakers. Since several trains were coming in from central, she couldn't even be sure if this one had the person she was hoping to see. But, her prayers were seemingly answered as a tall, dark-haired man in Amestris's military uniform stepped out. "Colonel Mustang!" she shouted.

She ran towards him as he said "Ms. Rockbell." His face was completely neutral when addressing her. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get here; his excellency had a few tasks in the west he wanted me to take care of personally. I got here as soon as I could."

"I understand." Winry nodded.

"So, have there been any changes since we spoke on the phone?" the colonel asked.

Winry nodded no. "They still haven't came back from whatever it was they were doing. I...I know Ed's a state alchemist and is expected to put himself into dangerous situations, but whatever's happening, it wasn't in our plans."

"I see." Mustang said. "And the police? Did they even think to use dogs?"

"Yes." Winry replied. "They had 3 Amestrian Shepherds trail Ed's scent. But they kept stopping at a hill out of town they said."

"Now that's interesting." Mustang mumbled. "In any case, I better have a word with the local sheriff. I'd imagine I'll be told pretty much the same as you..."

"Do whatever you can." Winry pleaded with him. "I know Ed's out there somewhere!"

Truth be told, Roy wasn't so hopeful. If Fullmetal was missing for so long...it didn't sound good. And Mustang refused to lose another comrade, no matter how much of a pain that said person may be. "Why don't you head back to your room, Winry?" Roy asked. "I think it's best you wait for me while I question the police."

* * *

"And so, that's the story." Sally had finished giving Knuckles the abridged version of Ed's story once the brawl between him and Sonic was broken up; now the guardian was up to speed on everything, especially the why.

"Is that so?" Knuckles said, rubbing his head where Sonic landed a good one. "Well, judging by what you told me, Sally, whether Robotnik can make it to this other world or not may be the least of our worries."

"Oh? And why is that?" Ed asked.

"According to you, he needs a source of chaos energy to open the 'gate', right?" Knuckles asked.

"Yeah." Al replied. "Though I have an idea of what that may mean, I'm still not quite clear on what exactly that is though."

"Chaos energy is essentially all the energies of the universe combined." St. John emerged from the jungle, brushing himself off and walking towards the others. "It is normally stored in two forms. One in power rings, which have a finite supply, and chaos emeralds, such as the one keeping the island afloat, which are said to have limitless power."

"Uh, excuse me, who are you?" Knuckles asked, perturbed by his sudden and nonchalant appearance.

"Geoffery St. John, of his majesty's secret service." St. John quickly replied, extending his hand. "Knuckles, right? A pleasure to meet you, mate."

Knuckles only stared at him irritated for a second. "Uh, yeah. THANKS FOR POTENTIALLY ENDANGERING THE SAFETY OF MY ISLAND TO OUTSIDERS, JERK!"

St. John eyes widened, realizing that the Elrics were new here (and a part of him did not trust them) and he scratched the back of his head. "Oops. Sorry bout that, mate." he chuckled.

"Well, we wouldn't use it anyway." Ed assured him. "I wouldn't know how to harness such energy in the first place; promising as it sounds, if it's even more powerful than a philosopher's stone it could prove too much for even me to control. Besides, since you need it, I'm certainly not taking it."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Anyway, back in the ancient history of this island; two echidna scientists sought to bring the island back down to the mobian surface by draining the energy of the dozen chaos emeralds used to originally cause this island to fly. Because of the risk it posed, their proposal was denied. While one accepted my people's decision, one was driven mad with rage. He went ahead and drained the energy of the emeralds, and absorbed them into himself, leaving only one emerald standing; the one currently keeping this island afloat. The energy granted him limitless power, transforming him into the demi-god Enerjak. With the aid of the fire-ants, his brother was able to bury him inside his own citadel. The brother was praised as a hero, and became the first guardian, my ancestor. However, after 400 years, Enerjak survived; he escaped his prison and attacked me, taking control of the Chaotix. It was only through the efforts of me and Archy here were we able to buy some time to allow some machines to send him into space."

Sally's eyes widened. "Oh no...if this Enerjak is as insanely powerful as you say he is..."

"Once Robotnik rescues him, there will be nothing to stop him. I only wonder what that eggman is thinking; there is no way he can control Enerjak." Knuckles said.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Robuttnik isn't that stupid." Sonic interrupted. "Surely he had to have some clue about what he's up against. And while he has been known to bite off more than he can chew at times, I'm sure he's taking every precaution against this Enerjak. Which, I may add, sounds like a cheap sports drink. Anyway, don't count him out once he gets what he wants just yet."

"And I bet the Homunculi are probably strong enough to help him with whatever he's planning." Al interrupted. "Even if they can't overpower him directly, their immortality may allow them to pin him down eventually."

"Ah think it's best we don't give him a chance to try. We'll kill two birds with one stone...so to speak." Bunnie chimed in.

"Right you are, Bunnie." Sally agreed. "Although, if chaos energy is the only way back to Ed's world, that may be a problem..."

"Don't sweat it Sal." Sonic interrupted. "I'll just find another zone and bring back an emerald with me for the dudes. There's always another one somewhere in this world."

Overhearing the conversation, Mighty gently elbowed Knuckles to get his attention. _"You think we should-?"_ the armadillo began to ask.

"_No; not yet."_ Knuckles whispered back. _"If the Freedom Fighters can help them out, that's where we should leave it._ I_t was too much trouble to get the spare, no thanks to Sonic the Doofus here. I think we should just keep quiet about it for now." _

"We'll begin tracking Robotnik immediately then." Sally ordered. "Edward, about the trip back home..."

"If this 'Enerjak' thing is as bad as Knuckles here says it is, I'll take his word for it." Ed answered. "We won't bring ourselves back if it means endangering others."

"As soon as this is over, leave it to me to find a chaos emerald for ya." Sonic smiled, giving Ed a thumbs up. "Trust me; I'm kind of an expert on this."

"Before we do anything else, we need to see where the others are." Sally interrupted.

She then contacted the Freedom Fighters' Jet through Nicole. "Sally to Rotor, come in!" For a brief moment there was silence, filling everyone with dread.

"**Rotor to Sally, roger!"** Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Rotor patched himself through.

"Thank goodness. Rotor, where are you?"

"**We had some complications, princess."** Rotor replied. **"First off, Dulcy got hit by a stray round and tore a hole in her wing. She'll make a full recovery if we get her back to Knothole, but today she's officially out of the sky."**

Sally sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that. And the plane?"

"**Similar situation. We were hoping to get all of you back on board, but like Dulcy, we got too close. Thankfully, the damage is only superficial, and hovercraft mode is able to keep us afloat. I'm afraid with the two of these problems, we won't be able to assist you all the way up on the island." **

"Do what you need to do Rotor." she said. "We need to get to Robotnik while we have the chance. We'll wait for you to pick us up when this is all over."

She closed Nicole and asked the team and guests "Any questions?" Nothing. "Good. Then let's be..."

Suddenly, Archimedes twitched. While Knuckles was oblivious to the why, he knew something set off his mentor. "Archy? What's up?" he asked, concerned.

At the moment, Archimedes only heard Locke. _"Archimedes! Something's happening in the Chaos Chamber! I can't be sure what, but that is our priority right now. The others will tend to Robotnik!"_

As the message ended, Archimedes told everyone "Pursue Robotnik at all costs! Someone's after our chaos emerald!"

"Never a dull moment." Knuckles growled as his day became even more complicated. Placing Archimedes on his shoulder, he said "You guys go on ahead without me! We'll join you as soon as we can!" With that, they poofed away into nothing.

"_I don't think I'll ever get used to the idea of animals with super powers."_ Ed whispered to Al.

"_You and me both."_ his little brother agreed back.

"Alright then." Sally began. "Robotnik will need to enter orbit to find this 'Enerjak'. Any ideas how he might accomplish that from here?" she asked the Chaotix.

Espio stepped forward. "From what Knuckles has told me about the history of his people, they were once able to enter orbit through a base east of here. The Launch Base Zone, I believe he called it."

"It's settled then." Sonic said. "Tails and I will go on ahead. We'll wait for you all to catch up!"

"Go, Sonic!" Sally commanded him. "Whatever happens, make sure he doesn't make it up into space!"

Sonic smirked."Like his fat little butt could get off the ground in the first place. Tails!"

"Ready!" The two took off in the direction Espio indicated, while the rest followed after them.

* * *

Robotnik finally emerged from the forest and laid his eyes upon the ruins of the Launch Base Zone. "So much potential, and yet they chose to abandon it." Robotnik hissed with distaste. "Oh well, it just means I'm free to use it." he smiled. Then, he spotted both his minions and partners arriving from various parts of the forest. "Ah, my friends." he said, more warmly than usual as he spread his arms. "THIS, is the penultimate stage of our plan."

"YOUR plan." Envy snarled at him. "I don't see what part of this involves getting us back home."

"Patience, my boy." Robotnik assured him. "I'm getting to that. The temple from which you came can be activated from this side, but your blood will do you no good here. We'll need chaos energy to accomplish that feat. My satellites have detected two chaos emeralds on the island..."

"And you want us to find them." Lust stated plainly.

"Normally." Robotnik agreed. "But we don't have time for that right now; even if we had ample time, the guardian would surely defend his islands' prized jewels. Though I've no doubt the 3 of you can take him, it will be too much trouble when his friends and the freedom fighters arrive. Besides, I've had a lot of bad luck regarding taking the emeralds by force; even with you 3 here with me, I'd rather not tempt fate again."

"So, what do you plan to do instead?" Lust asked, irritated at his lack of faith. Then again, a small hedgehog got the best of them barely an hour ago, so she supposed she couldn't blame him for his assessment.

"Above this island, just within the planet's orbit, is another signature of chaos energy...and it's not coming from an emerald." Typing a few buttons on his arm, he showed them a satellite image of the citadel in the sky. "The energy spike suggests a dozen of chaos emeralds. But from the information I've gathered about recent events on the island, it was a person! Almost...a god..."

Lust furrowed her brow; their part of his plan was worse than she imagined. "And you want us to do the dirty work."

"You'll be the distraction, my dear Lust." Robotnik replied as he switched off the image. "If this being is as powerful as rumors say, I wouldn't even expect you to win. I just want you to grab his attention long enough for me to use this." He pulled out a collar from underneath his cape, wide enough to fit most mobians. "With your immortality, I think this will be a...slam dunk, as the mobians used to say."

"What do you expect to do with that thing? Mind control?" Envy asked skeptically, thinking he was being sarcastic.

"Yes." Robotnik smiled slightly. "Something like that." He looked away towards one of the towers in the ruins. "Over there; that will be our ticket to the stratosphere." He pointed to what looked like a white colored plane, with wings too small to fly within the planet's gravity.

"That's what you plan to use to get us up there?" Lust asked skeptically. "I've seen your flying machines, but that seems to be a bit short of your standards."

"It's primitive, but it will get the job done." Robotnik said confidently. "We just need to validate the fuel source."

* * *

Knuckles and Archimedes made it to the Chaos Chamber, the source of the island's flight power, as Knuckles immediately surveyed the emerald. "Good! It's still in place!" For a moment, he wondered what had Archimedes so jumpy in the first place. But then, he saw it: a portal of some sort opening up. "Archy...what's going on?" he hissed. A portal appearing here could only mean trouble.

Archimedes said "I've no idea; be ready for anything."

Knuckles raised his fists as the intruder stepped out... only to lower them in confusion once the intruder got all the way out. "Sonic?"

Physically, this hedgehog resembled Sonic to the tee. But the way he presented himself was completely different. Leather jacket and shades, not to mention if you thought Sonic had an attitude, this guy had a problem to the extreme. Of course what made Knuckles conclude that this wasn't Sonic quickly was the fact that he just SAW him on the surface. "No...just who are you!?"

The imposter just looked at him like he was curious himself. "Knuckles?" He then...and this really pissed off Knuckles...rudely spat on the floor. "I've had enough run-ins with that goody two-shoes twin of mine as it is; I guess you'll be a nice change of course."

"Enough with the games already!" Knuckles yelled. "Just who are you!? Really!"

This Sonic seemed to roll his eyes under his shades as he casually approached him, and glanced at the emerald. "You're totally different from my Knuckles, you know?" he said, as if addressing a friend. "He's got the weirdest freaking accent I've ever heard, and he's a total chicken! I've a feeling...this island of yours...is completely different too..."

Upon hearing that last part, Knuckles got nervous. _"Archy."_ he whispered. _"Get the spare. Now. I've got a bad feeling about this character." _

Archimedes nodded affirmatively, and vanished. Knuckles then stepped forward to meet this "bad sonic". "I don't understand what's going on here, and quite frankly, I don't care. Just take your blue butt out of here, and that will be the end of it. And the sooner you get off my island, the better for both of us."

Evil Sonic only chuckled in response. "Oh? And what's the brave, noble guardian going to do about it?" Before Knuckles could offer a retort, Evil Sonic suddenly rushed in front of him and pressed against his throat with his arm, pinning him against the wall and forcing him up. "Aw, come on! You both refuse to use those big spikes as what they were in-" He was cut off when Knuckles suddenly twisted his leg around Evil Sonic's arm, brought it down, and punched him across the face. Evil Sonic stumbled, and his shades fell off. He observed a trickle of blood pouring down his mouth, and looked back at Knuckles, who pounded his fists together, daring him to try that again. Evil Sonic smirked, and wiped the blood off his chin. "I take that back. You DO have a pair; I respect that." He stood facing Knuckles. "But I'm not going to let that stop me from taking that jewel!"

He rushed at Knuckles again, but this time he was ready. Like the real Sonic, this guy was fast, but when confined to a tight space, he was easy to catch. Knuckles caught his arm between his fists and backhanded the wanna-be. Evil Sonic countered with a kick to Knuckles's stomach. As soon as he righted himself, he launched a series of rapid-fire punches. Though the guardian stumbled, he stood firm and countered with a side fist to the hog's beige belly. As Evil Sonic hunched over, Knuckles kicked his face, sending him sprawling across the floor. Evil Sonic slammed the crystal floor, and rose. "You're going to pay for that!"

"_Knuckles!" _The echidna heard his mentor's voice in his mind. _"I've got the other emerald!"_

"_Just hold tight!"_ Knuckles answered back in his mind. _"Do not show up until it's necessary!_ _Understood?" _

"_I understand, my boy. Be careful!" _

Knuckles came out of his conversation too late to catch a hay-maker by Evil Sonic, and his world spun as he reeled from the blow. The hedgehog followed up with a flip kick to the chin and spin-dashed into Knuckles, sending him careening into the wall. "Pay attention! I'm your worst nightmare, punk!"

At that, Knuckles only laughed. "What's so funny, wise guy?" the hedgehog snarled.

"Worst nightmare?" Knuckles laughed incredulously. "Don't make me laugh; well, too late...the point is, I KNOW my worst nightmare, met him myself actually. And if you keep me here any longer...you just might meet him too."

* * *

Sir, it seems the ship runs on fossil fuels." Snively reported as he finished his basic analysis of the shuttle.

"Interesting. And the Freedom Fighters give me a hard time for dumping toxins into the planet." the tyrant commented.

"So, can you take us up?" Lust asked as she cranked her neck towards the sky.

"I don't have the fuel this ship requires, and even if I did, I doubt I would have brought nearly enough." Robotnik sighed. "Fortunately, there is an alternative." Robotnik then signaled for a swatbot carrying a case to come forward. When the swatbot set it down, Robotnik kneeled and opened it, smiling with glee Several power rings were stored inside. "Excellent!" Robotnik grinned as he addressed some swatbots. "Modify this antique's engine to harness the rings! It should be just enough to take us up!"As those swatbots went to work, a couple more handed some large cases to the homunculi. Upon opening them, the 3 were quite confused. "Put them on." Robotnik ordered.

Soon, the homunculi were akwardly dressed in the custom-built space suits he made just for them. "Ugh. Are these really necessary?" Lust groaned as she struggled with her outfit, wondering how she could fight in it.

"If you wish to suffocate, freeze to death, and feel what it's like to be in a vacuum, you're more than welcome to try living in space without it." Robotnik warned them. "I've already designed them to suit your abilities; it took me all night to make those. I doubt space would kill you, but I'd imagine being permanently comatose until you burn to nothing in Mobius's atmosphere is worse. Now, KEEP THEM ON."

Robotnik was becoming more confident in working with the homunculi; Envy didn't like that. Nonetheless, he complied and finally got his helmet on.

"How long until we're ready to launch?" the Robotnik asked one of the engineering swatbots.

"**ETL, 30 minutes." **

Thank goodness his robots weren't alive; otherwise this would take forever. Still... "That's too long; Sonic could be here at any second!" he hissed.

Sonic and Tails came racing out of the jungle and into the clearing, getting a full view of the robots working on the ship. "No time for stealth, little buddy! We hit him hard and fast! Got it!?" Sonic ordered.

"Got it!"

The two leaped onto the platform, where Robotnik found them atop his station. "Stop them! STOP THE HEDGEHOG!" Robotnik knew the swatbots wouldn't help much, but he had to do everything he could for the plan to work! "All of you, triple your pace!" he ordered the maintenance crew. "I don't care how many errors are in your calculations, just make sure this thing will fly!" He then turned to his wheel-bound sub-boss. "Crocbot! Distract them, and join us when we're ready! I need to make sure everything is prepared!"

"**Will do."** Crocbot answered as he geared his tank body to roll down the platform. _**"Who died and made you king?" **_he asked as he lowered the volume of his audio output circuits.

He then raced down the ledge to meet the two unique freedom fighters as they trashed some swatbots. Sonic, taking notice of the tank, quickly grabbed Tails' shoulder and moved out of the way of a blast that would have left their insides all over the zone.

As Tails looked upon the sight, his eyes widened in horror..."Crocbot?"

Crocbot turned around and observed him. **"Well, well, well...if it isn't Tails! I owe you one for this new body...it's been a bit of an adjustment, but this new set of wheels does have it's benefits. Like this!" **

Crocbot fired another shot, but Sonic pulled his friend out of the line of fire by just a small margin before Tails became the headless fox. "That him? That crocbutt guy you told us about when you ran away?"

Tails nodded. "Yeah. Although...I think I may have made him bigger and badder!" he yelled in astonishment.

"And just like a tree, that will just mean he'll fall harder than before!" Sonic grinned as he charged at Crocbot, who prepared another round.

However, he once again proved too fast and his sonic spin shredded the robot's treads and left him partially imobile.**"You blue vermin!"** he shouted, shaking his fist.

"Tails, I'm going at this part alone! Get the others and back me up!" Sonic yelled as he ran down a few swatbots.

Tails was about to protest, but looking at the army around him, he realized it would be too much for just the two of them. Quickly, he spun his Tails and flew back the way they came, fast as he could.

Sonic rolled past the other swatbots and accelerated up the top of the tower. Robotnik, furious at his minions' incompetence, grabbed a blaster and fired. Though the first shot caught the hedgehog off guard and nearly caused him to stumble, the speedster quickly recovered and resumed his climb. Robotnik fired a couple more times, all complete misses. Realizing this wouldn't go his way, he quickly commanded his robots "Get that piece of junk moving! NOW!"

Within moments, Sonic tackled him through the window, his speed enough to knock the large man down despite their size difference. "I don't suppose a whole 'you don't know what you're dealing with' speech will be enough to stop you?" the hedgehog sarcastically asked as he gripped his neck collar.

"You don't think I know what I'm about to do" Robotnik hissed, unintimidated by his arch-nemesis. "I bet you didn't know that there were beings before this one with such power? Mark my words, hedgehog, I know exactly what I'm doing! And once I have it, you won't be able to stop me!"

Suddenly, the roof above them crumbled and a pair of feet kicked Sonic away from Robotnik. The impact was enough to knock Sonic out cold. "Thank you, Envy. Would you mind breaking his legs for me?"

Envy, already clad in his space suit, cracked his knuckles. "My pleasure."

As he walked towards the stunned mobian, something else suddenly crashed in front of him. "I don't think so!" Edward stood between him and his ally. He immediately transmuted a spear and kept both of them at bay. "Tails is on the way with more help! I suggest you give up while you can!"

Envy sensed Robotnik retreat, but paid him no heed; it just insured private time between him and the alchemist. "Could care less about what happens to him." Envy said, pointing at the hedgehog. "You, on the other hand, are another story."

* * *

Evil Sonic continued to attack Knuckles, throwing wild attacks and putting the echidna on the defensive. While Knuckles was pretty used to brawling with the Sonic he knew, this hedgehog was a different animal altogether. Instead of pummeling him into submission like the real Sonic, this one went for all dirty and crippling blows; if he got careless, Knuckles could wind up with a permanent injury. Knuckles moved his head out of the way as Evil Sonic threw what seemed to be an eye gouge. Suddenly, he grabbed the echidna's throat, choking him and pushing Knuckles against the wall of the cavern.

"_Knuckles!"_ Archimedes screamed telepathically.

"_Not yet!"_ Knuckles told him.

Bringing his fists up together against the hedgehog's arms, Knuckles broke the choke hold and slugged him across the face with a superb cross, shattering his shades. He seemed to be out cold now; Knuckles slumped against the wall as he tried to catch his breath. "Dang, he was tough..."

But Evil Sonic wasn't out; he simply played possum. Quickly, he grabbed a loose shard on the floor, ran up to him and slashed Knuckles across the cheek. Knuckles tripped, and was now on his back, at Evil Sonic's mercy. "I'm taking that emerald! And I'm not letting anyone...least of all you!...get in my way!" He picked up a loose rock, pinning Knuckles and bringing it over his head.

"Now Archy!"

Archimedes finally appeared, carrying their spare chaos emerald. "Another one!?" Before Evil Sonic could react, Archimedes spewed his flames across the emerald, giving them a green hue and embedding them with the mystical energies inside. Evil Sonic dropped his rock, stumbling as his face was covered in miinor but excruciating burns. "AHHH!" Knuckles ran up and punched Evil Sonic across the chest, his knuckles carving scars across his body and sending him flying towards the other emerald. Thankfully, it didn't look like he would be waking up and taking it anytime soon. He was down for the count, and the blood leaking across the floor only seemed to strengthen that assumption.

"Wow." Archimedes said as he stared at the corpse-like hedgehog. "I never thought you could be so vicious, my boy."

"Heat of the moment, I guess." Knuckles said, equally in shock of what he just did. He walked over and exmined the hedgehog's unconscious body. But he failed to noticed how the emerald sparkled when it came into contact with the hog's blood, turning it green for a split second. Turning to Archimedes, he said "Just take him someplace where he can't find his way out until I can deal with him..."

Suddenly, Evil Sonic came alive and went into a Sonic Spin. Knuckles gripped his shoulder in pain, and raised a fist defensively, expecting another fight. However, Evil Sonic simply screamed in agony and burrowed through the walls of the chamber.

"Okay, that was odd..."

"We don't have time to worry about him now!" Archimedes exclaimed. "You must stop Robotnik!"

"Right!" Knuckles picked up his mentor, and both disappeared from the chamber, teleporting away.

* * *

Envy avoided a debilitating thrust from Ed, making sure the suit would not suffer any cuts. "Not good enough, Fullmetal!" He grabbed the staff, intending to force Ed up and out of the platform. Quickly, keeping his grip with one hand, Ed transmuted the floor to encircle his feet, giving Envy unexpected resistance. "Big deal!" Envy put more power into his pull, and then Ed let go, the spike bouncing into the homonculus's helmet due to the disappearance of the said resistance. It seemed despite the protection, it was still quite enough to cause a sting across the forehead. "OW! YOU SON OF A-"

"Watch the language!" Knuckles suddenly appeared from above, and clobbered Envy across the head, giving the homunculus another headache.

"That won't be enough!" Ed warned him.

"I was afraid you might say that!" Knuckles retorted as he retreated towards Ed before the homunculus could grab him. "Archimedes is getting the others! He'll be here any second!"

"**Ten Minutes to Launch."** a robotic voice suddenly said.

"Jeez, these guys can work fast!" Sonic commented as he finally got back on his feet.

"You guys go!" Ed shouted as he beckoned them away. "I'll stall Envy!" Sonic, trusting Ed completely now, leapt out of the platform, while Knuckles glided away with him.

"You think you can take me, by yourself!?" Envy scoffed as he sized his opponent up. "I'm ten times stronger than you! And you can't use your alchemy here carelessly, least you fall to your death!" Envy rushed up and began to box Ed in. As Ed blocked the blows, he was pushed to the edge and felt his arm creak so loud it hurt. That's when Ed realized something was seriously wrong, and he couldn't keep this up! Ed was forced down as Envy pummeled him into the console. "Pathetic! Is that all you've got!?"

Ed grunted and said "Not quite!" Clapping his hands, he then hit the console behind him, beginning a transmutation.

Envy raised his arm defensively, expecting a weapon. But instead, the whole platform broke in half, causing them to fall in opposite directions. "YOU IDIOT!" Envy screamed as gravity reacquainted him with the ground below.

Ed flipped him over and tried to reach for the railing before he crashed, but missed the metal posts by a hair. Suddenly, something caught him as he felt his descent slow. "Tails!"

"Glad you're okay!" Tails exclaimed, pulling Ed up by his shirt as they hovered down. Ed looked below to see the other Freedom Fighters engaging the swatbots.

"Just set me down there, and stop them!" Ed ordered.

"Right!" Tails dropped Ed as he rolled across the floor and kicked a swatbot down.

* * *

"Yes, yes! Excellent!" Robotnik finished typing in the commands into the primitive central computer. "We're ready to go!"

"Sir, it's too dangerous!" Snively protested. "A number of things could go wrong with these last minute calculations!"

"A lot of things WILL go wrong, Snively!" Robotnik yelled as he grabbed Snively and lifted him to face level. The little imp began to sweat in terror when coming up close to his uncle's fury. "But we will push forward nonetheless. These calculations are precise enough for me to prepare for anything else. And those freedom fighters have interfered with my plans too many times! I will not let whatever inconvenience they have thrown at me stand in the way this time!" Robotnik dropped his nephew and quickly put on his space helmet. "Prepare for suborbital travel, Snively! Where are the homunculi!?"

"Here we are." Lust and her siblings appeared before him in their customized space-suits. "Sorry for the wait; we had to wait for Envy to recover after falling 4 stories."

"No matter. You're ready. And soon, you will all be home." Robotnik then pressed the loud speaker. "Attention all robots. We will begin the launch now. Prepare to board. All units 5298 and lower are to remain behind to stall the freedom fighters until launch." Robotnik shut off the communication, and rubbed his hands together. "Now, it begins. Let us see just what lies above..."

* * *

The Freedom Fighters, Chaotix and Elric brothers continued their fight down below. For the most part it seemed to be going well, but the sheer number of swatbots kept the battle to a stalemate. What's more, Ed was starting to favor his left arm over his right. _"Can't let them know!"_ Ed feared if he fought more with his automail arm, one of the bots would immediately target and break it, leaving Ed's alchemy unusable in battle. That, and he did not want to face Winry's wrath; he feared she really would kill him if she found out he broke her work this time around. Despite his fears, Ed transmuted the floor beneath his feet, and sent columns of metal at the swatbots, smashing them to bits.

"Look out!" Knuckles flew over Ed and tackled another swatbot, denting its metal hull. Another snuck up behind him and grabbed him in a headlock. Before Knuckles had a chance to get out of it, Tails pushed it up into the air. Both Knuckles and Tails flew to safety as it fell down below. That was when Tails found himself in the crossfire of several lasers aimed at him. Archimedes appeared and spewed his flames at the robots, and while it did minimal damage, it was enough to soften their metal exoskeletons and render their weapons ineffective. Archimedes was suddenly grabbed by another swatbot, trapped in the palm of its hand. Or so it seemed; Archimedes easily escaped by his teleportation, leaving the robot confused.

Suddenly, without picking up anything on its sensors, the swatbot was suddenly knocked down onto the floor. Others tried to come to its aid, but they too were knocked away by some invisible force. **"Fire at will!"** The swatbots wisely avoided the immediate area and used their lasers in their hopes of hitting a target.

"Ahhh!" Espio lost his concentration and decamouflaged as he gripped his arm. Luckily , it was only grazed and he would recover at a moment's notice. Unfortunately, it seemed the swatbots were not going to give him the time.

Thankfully, a sonic blast of music blew them away. "Yo! Leave my man Espio alone!" Vector turned down the headphones and placed them back in his ears. He then knocked away the other swatbots coming at him with his tail. One, however, was smart enough to grab it . Suddenly, Mighty came up behind it and supplexed it, the impact crushing it like a tin can. He rushed into the crowd of other swatbots, sending each one flying as they came into contact with his fists. When he saw he was about to be fired upon, Mighty curled up into a ball as his shell deflected the lasers. Charmy then flew by and plugged their blasters with sap.

One leapt to grab him, but St. John kicked it away. "Keep me covered, mate! I'm just about out of bloody arrows!" St. John side-kicked another robot approaching him, but failed to see one rush behind him.

"Heads up!" Sally leap-froged over the skunk's shoulder and fell the robot with a kick to the face. She spun and placed a scrambler on another swatbot, causing it to go rigid and fall over. One swatbot took aim at her, and fired. The blast was blocked by Bunnie's shield, whose robotic arm stretched and punched a hole through the offending robot. She took to the sky and began blasting them with her pulse cannon. A group of swatbots grabbed another and threw him into the air, launching him towards Bunnie. However, a piece of metal hit it and disrupted its flight pattern, causing it to miss her and skid across the floor. Alphonse, his body headless, continued to fight off the robots as the lasers only deflected off his armored body.

As he retrieved his head, another swatbot made a lunge for him. But this one too was foiled by a blue blur. "Look out! Coming through!" Sonic blazed by the other swatbots, kicking up a trail of flame and rolling over them with his Sonic Spin. One jumped in front of him in an attempt to catch and knock him out.

However, a giant fist made of metal emerged and knocked him away, allowing Sonic to roll under. "Keep your eyes peeled, Sonic!" Ed immediately transmuted a javelin, and threw it into a group of approaching swatbots, successfully impaling one.

Suddenly, a robotic voice was broadcast to the group below. **"Launch shall begin in T-minus 10 seconds..."** The rocket's thrusters ignited, and the heat was felt by all. **"...9..." **The swatbots suddenly retreated. Sally, taking the opportunity to get some information, pulled out Nicole . **"...8..."**

"Nicole, what is that thing!?" Sally asked frantically, having a feeling they shouldn't be there.

"**Heat rising imminent, Sally. Recommend finding cover or risk being incinerated alive!" **Nicole yelled in an uncharacteristically panicked manner.

"**...7..."**

"Ed!" Sally shouted. "Those flames!"

"I heard!" Ed said as he began another transmutation.

"**...6..." **

Crocbot also saw that he was about to be left behind. **"No! You're not going to throw me away like trash!...That's my job!"** Crocbot's torso also came alight with flame, and he turned his tank over on it's side so he was facing the rocket directly.

"**...5..."** He launched, and grazed Ed's right side. However, the force was enough to dislodge the arm entirely, and all Ed could do was stare in shock. His automail arm rolled unceremoniously across the floor, and near the rocket fire, while Crocbot attached his body to the hull of the ship. **"...4..."** Everything was happening so fast; Ed collapsed on his knees, not knowing what to do. Al, witnessing the event, pulled out his chalk and rushed over. **"...3..."**

Al covered his brother, and drew a circle with chalk. "Everyone! Get behind me, and press yourselves to the ground!" he ordered them.

"**...2..."** Sonic was the first to arrive, and the rest followed. **"...1..."** At the last possible second, Al began the transmutation, and an iron wall more than 12 feet tall and 8 feet thick separated them and the rocket's fire. **"...Launch..."**

The fires suddenly intensified, and a deafening roar filled the air. "Brace yourselves!" Al warned everyone. Though they were protected, everyone feared they would be engulfed in flames at any second. But nonetheless, they followed the boy's directions as the rocket took off.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the roar faded, and the air, though still fouled, cooled. Slowly, all rose. "What...what in the world was that thing?" Ed asked as he observed the chem trail in the sky.

"I don't know..." Knuckles said, dumbfounded. "...but whatever that was, if it was of use to Robotnik, it can't be good."

"I'm guessing it's used for sub-orbital travel." Sally said. "Judging by the energy it used just to take off, I'd say that was more than a simple plane."

"A ship to take you into space?" Ed asked as the vessel disappeared from view. "That's..." He then looked around him, and forgot where he was. "...Never mind." Ed than looked at the empty torn sleeve on his jacket. "Crap." Ed scaled the wall to observe his automail arm; it was now fused with the floor, its gears melted into slage.

"What's wrong, dude?" Sonic asked. "I mean, yeah, I'd imagine that would suck. But you've got a metal arm; it can be replaced, right?"

"True." Ed said. "But until then, my alchemy will be handy-capped. I could do things if I have enough time, but in battle I'll be at a disadvantage. Besides, I trust my own mechanic over whatever you guys have...no offense."

"What's more important..." St. John interrupted, "...is what Ivo is going to do with this Enerjak bloke once he finds him? Anything is possible, but he wouldn't go after him unless he had a specific objective in mind."

Sally thought for a moment. "...I have a lot of good guesses...but we need to act on conclusive proof..." She stared at her computer. Finding a swatbot, she tore open its head and grabbed a memory-chip. "I haven't tried this before..." She inserted the chip into an empty slot inside Nicole. "Nicole: Use the memory chip I provided you to hack into Robotnik's system without setting off any firewalls or alarms. Then, search for any recent files related to chaos energy." she ordered it.

"**Affirmative, Sally.** **Beginning search." **It took forever for the computer to get it done, but then it said** "Signal to Robotnik's mother computer found and connected. Beginning search."** All waited for a tense minute, until finally, Nicole reported **"Search complete.** **One file found."**

Sally opened it, and gasped. "Oh no..."

"What is it?" Al asked frantically.

"The temple...the one you guys came from...it's activated by chaos energy!" she yelled.

"If he activates it...we could go home!" Ed exclaimed. His jubilant expression quickly gave way to dread. "But if he does, that means he'll come with us!" he realized.

* * *

"Incredible!" Lust exclaimed as she felt themselves ascend into the air. _"This technology! We must have it! We will be able to create as many philosopher's stones as we want!"_ Lust then looked out the window, seeing space for the first time. "Incredible..." she repeated, staring in wonder at the sight she always knew existed but never thought would be possible to experience.

Robotnik, however, was not impressed, and wasted no time with his primary mission. "Snively! What is the position of our target!?" Robotnik ordered.

"About 500 km, sir!" Snively answered as he checked his portable computer, showing a holographic projection between the two points.

"500 km?" Envy asked. "That's too far!"

"Not in space it's not." Robotnik said. "Without gravity holding us back, we can move much faster. Brace yourselves" Robotnik keyed in some commands on the console, and brought up what seemed to be a tower in space. "There it is."

"How could someone make that all the way up here?" Lust asked. "The lack of gravity...of air..."

"It wasn't made...it was brought here." Robotnik replied. "By whom is the real question...but that will be for another day I suppose." "Take us in, Snively."

It took some doing; the engines were shot, and they ascended at the wrong angle, causing the ship to burn and lose quite a few vital functions. Nonetheless, Sniveley managed to get one rocket going, too slow for Robotnik's liking but it was all they had. Within a few minutes, they were side by side with the citadel. Robotnik checked his chaos radar; whatever was inside, it was off the charts. It would be more powerful tan anything he ever created. _"This is it."_ One wrong move, and anything could happen. He then turned to the homunculi. "You know what you're supposed to do; better get to it."

Lust nodded, and instructed her brothers to follow her lead. As instructed, they attached safety cords to the backs of their suits, and opened the door. The 3 were at first shocked when they felt the air around them being sucked out. Quickly, they got over it and jumped out of the shuttle. Faster than they thought, they immediately floated over to the citadel until they were pressing against it's walls. Without hesitating, Envy punched it open. The Homunculi stepped inside, and saw the flickering green light inside. Exploring further inside, that's when they saw him: Enerjak.

To the homunculi, he wasn't much larger than the average mobian they had encountered. But his gold head plate and royal-like outfit gave off a look of intimidation that made even them nervous. His red dreadlocks made him look feral, opposing his regal god-like appearance. _"WHO ARE YOU!?"_ the being screamed. The homunculi stepped back, frightened that they actually heard that in their minds. _"WHO ARE YOU!?"_ Enerjak repeated.

"**Let's take him!"** Lust ordered, their suits connected by radios. The three homunculi rushed him, yet Enerjak did not move.

"_In this environment, I may be limited...but mere overlanders are no match form me!"_ Gluttony grabbed him in a bear hug from behind, but Enerjak easily broke free and battered him into the wall hard enough to crack it. Enerjak immediately began to choke as ice crusted over him, but he quickly regained his senses and pulled all the oxygen molecules towards him and heated his body.

"_I see..."_ Lust thought. _"...whatever powers he possess, it's taking all of his concentration just to survive in this environment..."_ Lust quickly charged at him, but Enerjak quickly countered by summoning a spike from the floor, impaling her. Lust gasped as she felt the air, pressure and temperature inside her suit drop. "You won't get away with that!" she choked.

Lust quickly extended her fingers, the suit contracting around them, and pierced the demi-god's eyes. "Ahhh!" The pain made him lose all focus, and the void of space began to do it's work on the echidna once more. He scrambled to adjust the environment to his needs, but Envy attacked this time. Enerjak was now ready, and countered the shape-shifter's punches with some kind of force field. However, it was weak; he had to take a step back with each punch. Soon, Envy broke through, and uppercutted him off the floor. Enerjak, about to be blown into space, steadied himself and defied gravity, hovering. _"Fool! No mortal can defeat me!" _

Before Envy could offer a retort, a green energy surrounded and immobilized him. "What the-!?" Suddenly, he was thrown all across the room.

"_Be grateful we are in this inhospitable space!"_ Enerjak yelled telepathically. _"For if this battle took place on the mobian surface...this would be over much faster!" _

Lust got herself together quickly as she could; the disappearing air and other factors made it difficult for her to concentrate as she felt her senses go dark. She summoned her claws once more and impaled Enerjak's knees. Though he was in enormous pain, he ignored it and concentrated on himself. Quickly, Lust pulled him back in, and Gluttony slammed into him. Pinning the chaos god, Gluttony pummeled him. It seemed the finally had him; but an explosion of chaos energy sent him into the wall, and he immobilized both of them. _"How did you get here!?"_ he yelled. _"You must have some sort of ship...yes! I'm finally free!"_

Suddenly, a snake, clothed in a seemingly perfect custom-made space suit, coiled around him, and began to squeeze. Lust and Gluttony were released, while Enerjak once more began to suffocate.

"**Hold him!"** Robotnik finally showed up, flying towards them with rockets on his boots. He held in his hand a gold collar.

"_NOOO!"_ Enerjak began to power up with more chaos energy, but not before Robotnik fastened the collar. _"You think a mere choker can contain the All-Powerful Enerjak!?"_ Robotnik was flung into the wall, the wind knocked out of him. _"I have had enough of this! I will simply take your ship, and..."_ Suddenly, the energy around him disappeared to almost nothing, and he suddenly fell to his knees. _"No...my power...it cannot be contained!"_ Enerjak put more juice into it...only to feel himself getting weaker. It took even more effort to keep the air around him than before. _"What...what have you done to me?" _

Robotnik only sneered. **"I've been studying you for a long time now...Enerjak. I knew it would be impossible to contain you; nothing can contain the power of a chaos emerald...let alone how much you have inside of you. But that power can be redirected. In this case, back to you. My Chaos Control Collar takes your power and uses it against you; and now, your nervous system belongs to me." **

Enerjak only looked at him in rage. _"You..." _

"**Now, time's a wasting."** Robotnik interrupted him. **"And I have a job for you."** Enerjak only continued to stare at him in rage. But even he knew he was in no position to resist. **"Take us to these coordinates."** Robotnik said as he displayed a holographic map. A swatbot came from behind and provided him with some oxygen. **"Now that you don't have to focus on breathing, it should be a simple enough task for you."**

* * *

"So...can you do it?" Sonic asked Archimedes.

The fire-ant explained his teleportation ability to the group when Sally began to panic about getting back to the temple in time. "It's possible...but I've never went someplace so far before." he answered reluctantly.

"I'm guessing there's a reason you didn't when we were stranded in the Sandopolis Zone?" Knuckles asked, eying him suspiciously. "That would have saved us a lot of trouble."

"It takes enormous energy and concentration for me to do it. Last time, I didn't know EXACTLY where we were on the Island. My teleportation doesn't take me where I want to go if I don't know how to get there."

Knuckles looked back up to the sky, and sighed. "Looks like we've no choice." he noted, dropping the subject. "Archy...get the spare emerald."

As Archimedes disappeared, Sonic approached Knuckles. "Spare emerald? Since when did you have two!?"

Knuckles scratched his head and sighed. He supposed he'd have to bring it up sooner or later. "Remember the last time we brawled? As organic lifeforms?" he specified.

"Yeah. Going super and all that? I remember..." Then, something in Sonic's head clicked. "Wait a minute...you mean you took an emerald from the zone!?"

"That's what I came for in the first place." the echidna confirmed.

"But! That emerald-! Why? What!?" Sonic began to shout.

"Sonic." Sally chastised him. "Maybe if you asked him what he was doing in Robotropolis in the first place, the whole ordeal would have gone a lot faster...not to mention spare you a few bruises."

Sonic grumbled. "Why didn't you run it through us first?"

"It was my business, not yours." Knuckles growled back.

Ed was a bit lost on what was going on. But this talk of the emerald interested him._ "I wonder...if I wanted to, could I use it?"_ he thought silently.

"I took it should the worst happen. If our emerald is taken, at least we will have a chance to save our home from a cataclysm." Knuckles explained. "This place was once powered by a dozen emeralds...and the other eleven were absorbed by that guy in the sky Robotnik's coming to visit." he emphasized pointing up.

Archimedes reappeared, this time carrying a brilliant green gem. "Here it is, my boy. Gather around, everyone. I'm about to-"

"Wait." Knuckles stopped him. He then addressed the Chaotix. "Listen, guys. I want to take you with us. But I need you all on the island; anything could go wrong while we're away. Since I know Dimitri best, it only makes sense for me to go. Should some moron have the bright idea of harming our home, I want you all to be there to protect it."

"You can count on us!" Mighty assured him, giving him the thumbs up.

Vector sighed, bummed out he didn't get to go. But, he couldn't argue with Knuckles. "You take care, man." he said as he fist-bumped his friend.

Knuckles then turned to the Freedom Fighters and Elric brothers. "Are we ready?" Everyone nodded affirmatively.

"Alright, everyone." Archimedes announced. "Gather around, and hold onto one another. I can only take you if each one of us is in contact with one another."

Archimedes hopped onto Knuckles' head as he, the Freedom Fighters and the Elric brothers joined together in a circle (Alphonse having to touch Ed's stump). Archimedes began to concentrate...and suddenly a green blur broke the group apart. "What the-!?" Knuckles took a blow to the stomach and was sent flying into the air.

The Chaotix jumped in to help, but they couldn't catch what was attacking their friend.

"What the heck is that!?" Ed yelled, before being tripped up .

"Whatever it is, it's as fast as Sonic!" Al exclaimed. The unknown assailant attacked Al, only to bounce off his armored hide. Ed couldn't be sure, due to how it picked up speed again, but it looked like another hedgehog.

Just when it headed for Sally, Sonic intercepted it. "You just made a very bad call, buddy!" He raced it around his friends and pinned it to a tree. "That's enough, you-" Sonic stopped as he stared wide-eyed at their assailant. He looked just like him! Except...the colors were all wrong. This hedgehog had green fur and quills as opposed to his blue; the eyes seemed to be blue as well. Sonic also took notice of how much sharper his teeth were than his. His identity was a mystery to Sonic, until he took note of the black jacket and boots. "Evil Sonic?" he asked.

"Make it stop..." he hissed. "The pain...MAKE IT STOP!"

Evil Sonic spun around like a tornado and backhanded Sonic to the ground. "What happened to you!?"

"We struggled earlier in the Chaos Chambers." Knuckles answered. "I punched him so hard he bled. His blood touched the chaos emerald...that must have triggered his mutation!"

"Okay then." Sonic said as he watched his double continue to spin around like a lunatic. "Any ideas on how to reverse it?"

"No...but this should put a stop to his nonsense!" Using a transmutation circle they carved out of the dirt, Ed and Al transmuted speed bumps that tripped up the new Evil Sonic, and a giant hand came out of the ground to immediately grab the green hedgehog and stopped him in his tracks.

The hedgehog only continued to scream like a maniac as he thrashed around in the hand. "Stand back!" Sonic warned everyone. "He'll break out at any second!"

"Doubt it." Ed sighed. "We made sure to make that thing out of iron; I don't think he'll be going anywhere anytime soon."

"So long as he doesn't vibrate his molecules so fast that he phases through, it shouldn't be a problem." Sonic concurred.

"Excuse me?"

"It's a joke, Ed. Just something out of my comics." Sonic assured him.

"Oh." Everyone only continued to look at the apparently suffering hedgehog. "So..." Ed began. "Who is this guy exactly?"

"My evil twin." Sonic replied. "Well, was. I'm not sure if he fits that description anymore."

The Elric brothers just looked at one another, both concluding that this was the oddest thing they had seen in this world to date. "You gotta be kidding me." Ed groaned. "You mean there's two of each person in this world?"

"No." Sonic answered. "Just an alternate universe where I just happened to turn out like that...well, not that THAT but bad. You know." he shrugged sheepishly.

Satisfied there would be no more interruptions, Knuckles once more picked up the emerald and handed it to Archimedes. "Now, before anything else happens..."

"ARRRGHHH!" Evil Sonic continued to scream. "MAKE IT STOP!"

Suddenly, the emerald began to rise in the air, and glowed a brighter green. "Archimedes!" Knuckles shouted. "What's happening!?"

"I don't know, my boy!" the fire ant yelled. "Best get out of here, before-!"

Then suddenly, all except the Chaotix were gone in a brilliant flash of green light. "What happened!?" Espio yelled as he looked around. "Where is everybody!?"

"That green hedgehog is gone too!" Charmy pointed to the metal hand.

"I don't know." Archimedes said as he brushed off his tiny hat. "But I'm going to find out; do your duty as Knuckles' friends and protect this island!" With that, Archimedes teleported away.

* * *

"Gather around, everyone! Quickly!" Naugus ordered his servants. Kodos, Arachnis and their comrade encircled the strange wizard's back as he began waving his hand and claw. "The time is almost upon us!" he exclaimed with glee.

"How is that?" Kodos asked skeptically.

"The one called Robotnik!" Naugus shouted. "He has discovered the portal to that strange world! He will open it! And when he does..." A green, mist-like energy surrounded his hand. "...we shall make our move..."

* * *

Robotnik found himself engulfed in a flash of light, and then, in the middle of a forest. Robotnik momentarily jumped when he heard the shuttle they used earlier landed on it's side 30 feet away from them. Noticing that the homunculi were with him, shedding their space-suits, and the rest of his crew evacuating the rocket, Robotnik turned around and found a small, ancient temple-like building behind him. It was small, covered in moss, but intricately crafted. And the open entrance...quickly, Robotnik ran towards it and searched for markings. There were none; Robotnik decided to look inside. He got to the center, and used his infra-red scopes to scan the area. "Yes!" he said, upon noticing the intricate designs and strange world-map on the ceiling. "This is it!"

Quickly, Robotnik ran outside, ripped apart his space suit and encountered Snively looking for him. "Sir! Where...How did we...!?"

"Shut up, you little twit!" Robotnik shouted. "We're where we need to be." he hissed. He then stared and walked towards his new slave. "You've done well, servant." he said, patting the once unstoppable Enerjak on his shoulder.

"Release me." Enerjak hissed. His arms were twitching, a sign that he was doing everything he could to rid himself of the collar, even pulling it off with his bare hands. Unfortunately for him, the tyrant thought of everything; his own nervous system was no longer under his control.

"Now, why would I go and do something like that?" Robotnik asked, mocking him.

"Pray you've made all of the calibrations you need to...because the first chance I get, I'll crack you like a little egg."

"I look forward to it." Robotnik answered. He then narrowed his eyes. "Now, I've got another job for you. Snively!"

"Y-yes sir!" the little one stuttered.

"Get half a dozen swatbots here on the double! We're about to make another trip..."

"What about Crocbot, sir?" Snively asked.

Robotnik just stared at his assistant, looking for an excuse to smack him upside the head. Before he could reply, he heard **"What!? You think you're just going to leave me behind like this!?" **

Robotnik looked to see Crocbot still on the hull of the shuttle. He was, however, heavily damaged; it seemed he attached himself to the rocket at the last second as it was taking off. Most of his snout was gone, melted away during the breaking of the atmosphere. Many other parts seemed to have burned and melted away as well, exposing several wires and circuits. It was amazing his central circuitry was intact, let alone what parts of him he managed to hold together. Robotnik sighed. It would be simpler to leave him here, but he figured it was best to make some use of him while he was still functioning. "Get a swatbot to get him off the hull. Don't bother cutting him free; we don't have the time. Just rip the whole panel off if you have to!"

A couple of swatbots got to work on his command. That was when Envy approached him. "So...you got what you came for?"

"Quite." Robotnik replied. "And now, I am able to bring you home."

"And you're coming with us." Envy groaned.

"If you have a problem at this point, take it up with your big sister." Robotnik warned him. "Besides, if you kill me now...you are stuck here. Not even your sister knows how to open the portal." Envy snorted, and turned around to storm off.

Suddenly, a green flash of light nearby caught Robotnik's eyes. "What in the...?" Suddenly, Sonic, Ed and company appeared. "Of all the-!" Robotnik quickly turned around and grabbed Enerjak, carrying him like a rag-doll. "Eliminate them! Quickly!" Robotnik called to his horde as he ran into the temple, taking Enerjak with him. _"I've come too far to fail now!" _

Little did he know, he may have overreacted; Sonic and company were quite dazed from the experience. "Ohhh...did anyone get the number of the plane that hit me?" Sonic groaned.

"You think...you've...got problems?" Ed groaned as he held his head with one hand. "I need to check if I scheduled a sparring session with Major Armstrong today..."

"**Raise your hands, prisoners!"** Swatbots surrounded them, aiming their wrist-lasers at them. That brought everyone out of their stupor.

"Um...how 'bout no?" Sonic asked sarcastically. He immediately spin-dashed into action, cutting up the swatbots while the other freedom fighters attacked. Al immediately covered Ed, as the lasers deflected off of him. "Sal!" Sonic yelled as he ran over another bot pointing to the structure that brought their new friends...and enemies to their world. "I think most of them went inside the temple!"

Ed's eyes widened. "Like hell he will!" _"I am NOT letting him into my home world!"_ Ed quickly transmuted a six-shooter from the ground, the barrel sporting what seemed to be a bang of blond hair and teeth around the barrel. It was a piece of junk that not even Hawkeye would consider collecting, but it would get the job done as Al carried him while he shot the visors of the bots. The others were following behind them...and another was running erratically around them.

"What the heck is that guy's deal!?" Knuckles yelled, getting dizzy trying to keep up with the green blur.

"Hell if I know!" Sonic said. "First thing's first! Buttnik, then...him!" Tails looked at him funny. "What?" Sonic asked. "He doesn't look exactly like me anymore, so I can't call him my evil twin!" Tails just shrugged, and the two continued on into the temple with the others.

* * *

"Is everyone here!?" Robotnik yelled as he set Enerjak down. Snively and a few swatbots were with him. Crocbot was carried by one. The homunculi were with him, anticipation across their faces. It seemed everyone on the list was accounted for. "Okay then. Enerjak!" he commanded. "Activate your chaos powers! Bring us to the world beyond!"

Enerjak, for some reason, did not respond, nor did his inhibitor device react accordingly. "How do I do that?" he simply asked, though all could tell Enerjak relished the brief moment of inconvenience he caused him.

Robotnik gritted his teeth. "How dare you-!" Robotnik stopped himself as he realized that the only way he wouldn't do something was if he didn't know how. He may have been virtually omnipotent, but even he couldn't perform a task if he didn't know exactly how to use his abilities for it. "I don't know. Just make a burst of energy!" Robotnik yelled.

"Like we'll let you!" Sonic appeared, and rolled under Snively's feet, knocking him off balance. Bunny leapt from the shadows and knocked Lust over with a flying double kick. Tails flew over and grabbed Envy's hair, pulling him into a wall as hard as he could. Sally snuck up behind Gluttony and pressed her taser against his body, bringing him to his knees.

Finally, Al and Ed ran inside from the shadows and knocked Robotnik down with a kick. "It's over!" Ed declared! "Leave! We'll be taking the homunculi with us now!"

Suddenly, another green blur spun into the room, hitting everything like a renegade pinball. "Now's not the time!" Sonic shouted as his face kissed rock.

Suddenly, Evil Sonic ran into Enerjak, and the collision of two chaos energy beings proved...well, chaotic. The room was suddenly awash in green light, and the transmuation circle beneath everyone's feet suddenly came to life.

"This is it!" Robotnik smiled. The light intensified...

* * *

"This is it!" Naugus shouted. "Stay close to me!" His minions did as they were told, as Naugus spread his hand and claw faster, chanting the spell of a language long-forgotten. A portal above them suddenly opened, and their essences were sucked into it like planets near a black hole. At last, they were free!

* * *

"Worthless." Mustang muttered as he re-entered the police station, several officers with dogs flanking him. "I think your dogs need more training." The colonel had returned from the newest search party, getting the same results as the last.

"Impossible." the chief of police replied. "These are the best in the county! I doubt Central's dogs can do any better!"

Mustang looked towards the waiting room, where Winry once again the bench, worried as ever. _"I told her to go back to her room!"_ Mustang thought irritably. In fact, she looked exhausted. Mustang sighed; he really couldn't leave now. "Listen, do you have any other alchemist related locations here?" Mustang doubted it; he had been quite a studious alchemist himself. He would have known if this town had anything alchemy related. He was surprised enough to learn about that run-down temple.

"No, I'm afraid not. We've never really had any alchemist or alchemy related things in this small town, except for that temple." the chief replied.

"Speaking of which..." Mustang began. "...I never heard of that temple before until today. I'm surprised that it isn't such a huge deal, given how much the state tries to archive the history of alchemy."

"Yeah. Truth be told, no one knows where it came from. The circles inside look like transmutation circles, but all alchemists who have tried to discover their secrets have failed. I'm guessing the state didn't take much interest since because of that, and it really hasn't done us much good as a tourist attraction either. Your boys were definitely there, but I can't figure out why the hounds can't pick up the trail from there."

"They're NOT my boys." Mustang growled. "But I would like to check it out again anyway..."

Suddenly, someone ran into the room. "Sir!" he addressed the chief.

"What is it?"

"The temple, sir! The one on the hill!"

"Yeah? What about it?"

"It's glowing!"

"What do you mean it's glowing!?" the chief barked. "I got real police work to deal with here!"

"Green light has been reported from the hill!" He ran to the door and beckoned him outside. "Come on!"

Mustang sighed, and followed him. As they stepped outside the hall, Mustang noticed all the people on the streets had stopped in their tracks, all looking in the same direction. It was just as the rookie said. The police chief was stunned silent. But Mustang, sensing something amiss, quickly snapped him out of it. "Chief. I need a team, and I need them ready and armed! Pronto!"

* * *

"Oh god..." Ed groaned as he used his remaining hand to settle the pounding his brain was taking. "How many more of these headaches do I have to put up with today?"

"Let's just hope that's the last of them." Sonic groaned, feeling similar.

"Brother!" Of course, Alphonse was not effected by the ride. He shook his brother harder. "Look!"

Quickly, Ed, Sonic and the Freedom Fighters forced themselves up and ran out of the cavern. Ed recognized the hillside leading to the town they last visited before they came to Mobius! That meant..."we're home..."

"I must say, I'm disappointed." Robotnik's voice said from above, causing all to freeze in place. "I was already warned your society was rather primitive, but you actually seem to care about the forests around you. If you tore it all down, you could make so much more progress..."

Ed looked up the temple, seeing the tyrant and his goons above them all. "You..."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything...yet. Whatever I come up with, it will take time." Robotnik smiled as he twiddled his fingers. "But when it hits, it will hit you so hard that you will feel helpless, and none of your powers will make a difference..."

"Uh, sir?" Snively squeaked as he came up behind him.

Robotnik only growled and rolled his eyes in response. "I'm in the middle of making a threat Snively! This better be important!"

"Sir, we're getting another reading! I don't know what to make of it...but the energy signatures are similar to radio readings in the Zone of Silence!"

Robotnik's eyes widened. _"It can't be! That would mean Naugus..."_ "Quick! Everyone, get off the roof!"

Suddenly, the temple exploded in a beacon of green light, as Robotnik, his minions and the homunculi leapt to the ground before the light could engulf them. The temple itself was suddenly covered in green crystal, the rocks forming its structure changing it's atomic make-up, and an eiree laughter filled the air. Ed couldn't be sure, but when the light stopped, it seemed like some shadows flew into the sky. "What the hell was that!?" he yelled.

"You better hope it's not what I think it is, Full Metal..." Robotnik warned him as he stood straight again. "...because there are things worse then me." Robotnik then looked down at the town. It seemed whatever meager military force they had was becoming active. "Our mission is accomplished; we no longer need to be here! Let's go!"

Robotnik typed some commands on his cybernetic arm and they seemingly vanished like a mirage. "Get back here, Buttnik!" Sonic yelled as he charged in the general direction. However, he found himself encountering nothing but air, as he desperately tried to play "Pin the Tail on the Whatever" to find him. Within a few seconds, he realized he wouldn't succeed. "A cloaking device. Damn!" Sonic kicked the grass in frustration, and ran back to the others. He then saw the temple, and got a good look of the town below. "Is this...Ed's world?"

While Sonic and Tails were curious about the new world, Sally, however, was preoccupied with other matters. She ran over to the crystallized temple as Knuckles, Bunnie and St. John watched. "Nicole! Analyze!"

"**Processing, Sally."** The portable computer's lights flashed different colors, as it finally settled on green, the portable reaching a conclusion. **"Temple has been completely crystallized.** **Due to the alteration in construction, the transmutation circles are now gone and using it now would be impossible." **

Sally's eyes widened as she fell to her knees. "You mean...we're stuck here!?" It wasn't a pleasant thought for the others either.

Al, not wishing to see her give up, ran over to comfort her. "Something connected our worlds in the past...! We can do it again! I promise you, we'll find a way to send you all home!"

"What he said." Ed added. He then looked back toward the town. Then, back at the mobians. "There's one problem we have to deal with right now before all that though..." "

What is that?" Sonic asked, a bit grumpy thinking the day couldn't get any worse.

"WHAT THE HECK ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THE LOT OF YOU HERE!?" Ed yelled as he pointed at the mobians.

* * *

Now, things are going to be quite different, with whole new "fish out of water" experiences!

Things have been kind of in a rut for me lately. I've dropped out of vet school, as I had to repeat two consecutive years and felt that I really need a break from studying in general. So right now, I'm just looking for work, other things I've wanted to do, etc. But I will say fanfic writing has helped me get through a lot of stressful times, so I don't see myself quitting it anytime soon. Maybe next chapter I'll let you all know if anything's changed. See ya.


	10. Brand New World

Hello again! Sorry for the wait; I've been busy with a few things. Nothing much else to say, but enjoy this chapter

New Disclaimer: I have to add that Geoffery St. John, Enerjak, and whatever other characters created by him belong to him (I'm not clear on how that whole lawsuit ended, but it seems he won back the rights). So please don't sue; it won't benefit either one of us in the long run.

* * *

"This isn't happening..." Ed muttered as he paced frantically, recalling all the events that led up to this. "...this isn't happening..."

"Uh, I hate to break it to you Ed." Sonic said, impatiently tapping his foot as he stared at the human. "...but it is way past real. This IS happening."

After somehow coming to an alien planet, the plan was to take something they needed, take the homunculi with them and get out. Taking some of the alien residents with them, both good and bad, was NOT part of the plan. "Brother, what are we going to do with them?" Alphonse asked as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Sally, Bunnie and St. John stared directly across from them, worried and afraid.

Before Ed could come up with a response, they heard barking down the hillside. "Dogs. They must be looking for us."

"It figures; we've been gone for days. Winry must be worried sick." Al added.

Upon the mention of Winry, Ed's face paled. "Uh, yeah...I almost forgot about that." It was bad enough that they worried her; with Ed's arm out of commission, his punishment would be even worse.

"Ed." Sonic approached him, reaching up to place his hands on the human's shoulders. "Listen, buddy. I don't blame you for being freaked out. But for now, we're stuck with you. And we need you to help us. You think you can do that?" Sonic asked.

Ed seemed to have finally come out of his stupor. "Yeah. You're right." Ed removed Sonic's arms and began thinking. "Okay. First thing's first; we can't let the dogs or anyone else see you. Not anyone that we don't know, anyway."

* * *

Mustang and the other officers sprinted up the hill, guns drawn. When they got to the top, they only stared at the temple. The entire structure was converted to crystal. "What could of done this?"

"Is this alchemy?"

Mustang stepped up to inspect it. "I'm not sure..." he said as he ran his hand across the crystal. "...alchemy is transmutation, not TRANSFORMATION. The temple's structure has been completely altered."

Mustang turned back to the dogs, and for once, something different was going on. "It seems they've finally picked up on your subordinates' scent." the chief noted. "It looks like they headed down the hill."

Mustang turned his attention to a couple of other dogs. They were looking in another direction, and what's more, they were growling like wolves ready to attack one another. "What's with them?" he asked.

"Don't know." one of the officers replied. "They never behaved like this before! DOWN BOY!" he yelled before one could go completely berserk.

Mustang turned his attention back to the chief. "I'll look into the matter about the temple later. If you have Elric's scent, I suggest you follow it while it is still fresh!"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"Are you sure this is going to work, Ed?" Al asked as they produced red cloth from a nearby vendor. "It's going to look...kind of strange."

"Not nearly as strange as having them out there in plain view." Ed shot back as he got the cloth together in a transmutation circle. Upon completion, he activated it. The cloth suddenly became individual cloaks, small enough for each mobian. "Okay. Put these on, and make sure no one looks directly into your hood." he ordered as he handed one to each.

While most of them began putting them on, Sonic just held his and replied "Is this really necessary? I mean, you can just describe our situation and-"

"Three things, Sonic." Ed replied. "One, we're not from this specific town. Two, historically, we've had a fear of the unknown. Best case scenario is that someone catches you and puts you in a cage as a sideshow for a circus. Three, while not in the same league as Robotnik, our relationship with animals has not been 100% friendly. I could get into specifics, but we're running out of time. PUT THE HOOD ON." Edward growled.

Sonic grumbled "Man, and a good chance to show this world how cool we are." Sonic reluctantly donned his hood, making sure his body and feet were hidden as well.

"The little red riding hood get-up suits you well, mate." St. John teased.

Sonic narrowed his eyes. "Like yours makes you look any manlier." he shot back.

"Uh...Knuckles..." Sally said to the echidna. "Your hands. They kind of stand out."

Knuckles looked at his own fists, and saw the problem. "Oh." Quickly, he tucked them in.

"Well, this is as good as it's going to get I suppose." Ed sighed. "Alright, just follow us, and don't do anything out of the ordinary." The brothers led the way out of the forest, as they finally came into the town.

Sonic was both impressed...and a bit disappointed. On one hand, these overlanders seemed...well, peaceful. They lived lives similar to what their kind did back during Mobotropolis' prime, albeit on a less advanced scale. Most seemed happy, hard working, and overall content. On the other hand, even though he knew this wasn't really a negative, their technological skills seemed to leave much to be desired. For all the bad Robotnik brought to their world, Sonic loved zooming across the sky scrappers and defying death, outwitting the good doctor's toys at every turn. If he got a chance to, running around here seemed like it would turn out to be rather dull. Then, he noticed some of the humans looking at him, and Sonic quickly looked away. The stares weren't lost on the other mobians; it made all of them feel extremely uncomfortable.

"What the heck is that?" one asked.

"Just an entourage of midgets, I guess."

"But so many of them at once?"

"More like a cult of little people, I say..."

Ed was getting increasingly annoyed, repeating in his head that they weren't talking about him. "I guess the blonde dude is the leader of the group..." someone said.

A vein suddenly popped on Ed's forehead, as he slowly turned around giving the poor man a death glare. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Before he could reply, Ed suddenly rushed him and tackled the poor man one-armed, ensuing a brawl outside the tavern while Al could only stare in disappointment.

"He didn't even say you were short, brother..." Al moaned.

Tails moved next to him, and nudged him for attention. "This isn't going to work, is it?"

"No." Al sighed. "I guess it's time for Plan B."

* * *

After settling down the ensuing brawl, everyone ran to the nearest secluded alley and began Plan B. Which was, of course, stuffing everyone in Al's armor. "Wait." he suddenly said, holding his hand up. "Before we do that...we need to get that 'thing' dislodged."

"Oh. I almost forgot about that." Ed said. As Al kneeled, Ed unhooked his brother's breastplate. In the middle was a metal case fused to the rest of his body.

"Is that it?" Sonic asked. "The thing that makes the roboticizer tick?"

"Yeah." Ed confirmed. "We had to make sure no matter what, we held on to it once we had it. While I made the fake ore, I fused the case of the real one with Al's body. It's just going to take a bit longer than before to get off..." Taking a piece of chalk, he drew a large circle across. "Okay." He held his hand over it as the circle glowed. After a release of steam, the case fell to the ground, the sides perfect as if they were never tampered with. The alchemist took a spare cloth to wrap the case behind his back and under his cloak, as Al put himself back together. "Okay then. Everybody in." Ed beckoned as Al lifted his head.

As the piled in, they discovered one of them could fit in easy enough; but all of them together...well, that made company. "Alphonse." Sally grunted as she fitted herself between St. John and Knuckles. "I'm not so sure this will work."

"Neither am I. But even hooded you guys attract too much attention. We don't have much choice..."

Finally, Bunnie and Sonic entered through the hole; her metal limbs and his quills would have made the ride uncomfortable for anyone if they were placed anywhere else. "All set?" Ed asked as he watched them squeeze in.

"No thanks to you." Sonic replied as he fastened Al's helmet on.

"Yeah...sorry about that..." Ed chuckled nervously.

"Okay, lead the way!" Sonic ordered as he placed Al's head back on.

And so he did. Al of course attracted attention with his body, as did Edward with his missing arm. That kind of attention they were used to. Dealing with the mobians...they didn't want to think about the chaos it would cause.

"You think Winry is still at the room?" Al asked.

"Well, it's either that or she's drowning herself in automail back at Rush Valley." Ed replied. "Of course she's at the room! She wouldn't go anywhere, not without us when we were supposed to be together." Ed looked at his stump and shivered. "This is still going to be a big problem though..."

"One that can still be solved...we've got another problem we need to explain, and it is crawling inside my body!" Al hissed.

"Sorry." Knuckles whispered.

"Well, technically speaking, I guess 6 problems in total." Al moaned. "And Winry's not going to be the only one asking."

Ed stopped for a moment as he turned to face his brother. "What do you mean?"

"Surely, Winry called the police; I doubt they found any reasonable leads on us these past few days. Who else do you think she would call if we went missing?"

Ed's eyes slowly widened in realization. "Mustang...crap..." Ed momentarily paced and fidgeted. "Well, we're definitely not telling him. Or anyone in the military for that matter."

"Then what are we going to tell him?" Al asked.

"I...I don't know! Think of something on the way to our hotel!" Ed shouted, obviously panicked.

From inside, Sonic observed everything from Al's helmet visors."Everything okay there, sugar hog?" Bunnie whispered.

"Hard to say." Sonic whispered back. "They're worried about how to explain us to people they know...and they're both shaking in their boots like Twan over the subject."

Bunnie rolled her eyes at that. "Sugar hog..."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Okay. Sorrr-y!" Sonic noticed that Bunnie had been getting quite defensive of Antione as of late

Finally, Ed stopped pacing and sighed. "Okay. Best to get it over with, worst things first. Meet up with Winry."

Sonic just looked on curiously. _"Meeting up with your friend is worse?"_

* * *

Winry had finally returned to her room after getting a shouting by Mustang. She hadn't slept since the brothers disappeared, and the sleepless nights were taking their toll on her. She sat on the bed, her head beginning to droop and her eyes struggling to stay open. She jolted herself awake again, and breathed deeply. She couldn't allow herself to nod off, not when that idiot Ed was missing! She only hoped Alphonse was doing his best to keep them safe. _"Ed...where are you?" _She whispered. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a photograph when they were little. Winry was probably 6 years old in the picture, wearing a floral patterned dress and shorter bob-cut hair. She was smiling right at the camera, and grabbed two other boys into a hug. They were, of course, the Elric brothers, back when they were that age. Ed had all his limbs back then, and Al was a real boy. Al smiled as bright as she did, while Ed only scowled. _"Oh Ed..."_ she thought. _"You were always so stubborn."_ She was brought out of her thoughts by a knock on her door. "Hello?" she asked. There was only silence on the other end. "HELLO!?" Winry yelled, irritated.

"Ed, say something!" a voice said.

Winry's eyes snapped open as she stared at the door. _"That...that was Al! Which means..." _

Winry bolted up from the bed and slammed the door open. Though she was expecting a different face entirely, her eyes still widened in surprise, anger and relief all the same. What she did stare at, was the metallic helmet of Al, who despite his lack of facial muscles, looked nervous. "H...hi, Winry."

Winry at first didn't respond She slowly looked down to see Ed hunched over on the ground and covered his nose. "Damn it, Winry. Didn't Granny teach you not to slam doors open or closed?"

Meanwhile, Sonic was watching the events from inside Al's helmet. "Sugar hog." Bunnie whispered to Sonic. "Sally girl wants to know what's going on."

"They met up with his friend...though she doesn't seem to be exactly overjoyed that they've come back. Odd."

Ed finally recovered, and sat up. "Uh...hi." he said, expecting the worst.

Suddenly, Winry pulled out a wrench from behind her back and clocked both brothers across the head. Of course, this meant Sonic suffered the after-effects too as a sharp pain caused his world to go black, despite the protection of the helmet. "WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU TWO!" she screamed. "You just leave and say you'll be back in an hour! And what do you two do!? YOU TWO LEAVE ME ALONE FOR 4 DAYS!" She suddenly grabbed Ed by the collar and shook him furiously. "How dare you! How dare you just leave me behind and don't say a word of it!" Her shaking slowly stopped, as Ed desperately tried to recover from the dizziness. Winry's angry face slowly turned sad as tears began to flow out of her eyes. She collapsed on her knees and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his coat as she sobbed. Ed's cheeks flushed slightly at the contact. "I'm so glad you're okay..." Winry choked out.

Ed slowly embraced her. "I'm sorry Winry. We didn't mean to scare you like that."

Winry returned the hug...and felt a stump that shouldn't have been there. She shot out of her stupor and squeezed the stump more thoroughly. "Your arm..." She quickly turned angry again. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR ARM!?" she growled.

Ed could have sworn a fire storm erupted from behind her. Then he found himself face first on the ground again, the searing pain from before returning. He also noticed blood flowing on the ground. _"Oh...I hope that's not nearly as bad as it looks!"_

Ed looked up to see a once again enraged Winry prepared to strike with her wrench again. "YOUR...ARM..."

Ed chuckled nervously. "Uh...it kinda melted..." Now Ed found himself in the sky, quickly falling back to earth. His body was pretty numb by now; a small blessing considering what Winry could do with that wrench.

"MELTED!?" she screamed. "How could you melt an arm made of iron!? Did you decide to go play in a volcano!?"

Winry huffed, and Al...though with great trepidation...stepped forward. "Winry...I'm so sorry we worried you." Al noticed the dark circles under Winry's eyes; she must have been so worried that she never slept all this time. "Listen, we're back. We ran into some...complications."

"Complications!?" Winry huffed as she stared straight into him. "You were gone for 4 whole days! What in the world could have kept you both from me!?"

Ed finally recovered, and tugged at Winry's arm. "Like we said...it's complicated." Ed said. "Right now, we're back. And that's all that matters. Now, you need to go to sleep."

"You think saying it's complicated is good enough!? You think you can just tuck me in and make it go away!? I'm not five anymore, Ed!" she shouted

"Winry!" Ed shouted back. "I can tell you haven't slept the entire time! That's our fault, and for that, I'm sorry! But right now, you need to calm down! We'll tell you everything when you wake up afterward. I promise!"

Winry seemed to finally calm down, and hugged the shorter boy tightly. "Don't ever do that again..."

"Didn't mean to scare you like that." Ed replied as he hugged her back with his remaining arm. "I take it you called Mustang?"

Winry nodded. "He's here in town, looking for you."

"I was afraid of that." Ed sighed. Dodging exactly what happened with Winry was easy once you could prepare for the wrench; with Mustang he was going to have to cobble up some rather remarkable bullshit. "I'm going to go speak with him; Al's going to stay with you, okay?"

Winry gave him an annoyed look. "If you even THINK about taking off without a word again..."

"...believe me, Winry, I've had enough of such adventures for a good while now." Ed answered.

* * *

"S-Sir..." Snively whispered to his master. "They're staring at us..."

"Quiet, you!" Robotnik hissed. The homunculi directed them to the far side of town, far away from where Sonic and the others were. However, despite maneuvering carefully through the forest, they eventually reached the populated areas of the slums. Given the cloaking device's limitations when up close, Robotnik decided to forgo it and forfeit his pride as Lust and the others gave him, Snively and Enerjak crummy-looking cloaks. _"I bet they got these from a trash-heap on purpose!"_

Robotnik decided it was best that the few swatbots he brought with him and Crocbot should be left behind for now; they assured him they'll have an easier time coming into town at night. Lust attracted attention herself, for obvious reasons, as did Gluttony. Envy, of course, changed into a normal bum to fit in better and not attract too much attention.

After what seemed to be an eternity, they finally reached the ends of the slums. "Here we are." Lust announced. It seemed to be a run-down building, of religious congregation, Robotnik assumed. "Inside."

As they followed the homunculi, Envy changed back and pushed the podium. The floor went with it, giving way to a flight of stairs below. "I'll give you some credit; you have some innovation." Robotnik said as he and his companions headed down the steps after them. Finally, they found themselves inside a chain linked elevator. "Going down, I suppose?" Robotnik asked.

"For you, as far as I am concerned, not down enough." Envy pulled the lever, and they descended.

The narrow cavern they originated from gave way to a wide open space, which caused even Robotnik to widen his eyes in awe. "Incredible! How is this possible?" Robotnik asked.

"Dr. Robotnik..." Lust said. "What you see before you, is but a mere preview of the terrifying power of the philosopher's stone."

* * *

"You sure you're okay, Winry?" Al asked the girl as he helped her into bed.

"Yeah..." she yawned. "Just promise me you won't be going anywhere until I get up. I really, REALLY need the rest, and I don't need to put up with anymore shenanigans."

"Of course." Al waited as Winry pulled the covers over her and turned to her side. When he was certain she was fast asleep, he snuck into the bathroom and closed the door.

Quickly, he pulled off his helmet, reached in and pulled Sonic out. "Sonic!" Al whispered. "Are you alright!?"

Sonic didn't respond, and Al could see why. The hedgehog's eyes were spinning, his tongue was hanging out, and a large bump seemed to be growing on his head.

"What in tarnation happened!?" Bunnie shouted.

"Shh!" Al shushed her, bringing his fingers to his headless body. "Quiet! My friend is sleeping in the other room, and we're not ready to introduce you guys yet!"

Soon, the others crawled out and joined Sonic. "Sonic!" Sally whispered as she held him up by the shoulders. "Are you alright!?" Sonic seemed to be waking up, but he only replied in what could have been described as gibberish.

"Hold on." Al said. He walked over to the sink and poured himself a glass of water. Then, he threw the water in the hedgehog's face.

Sonic coughed up a storm, and his eyes finally focused. "OW!" he said, gripping his head. "Did anyone get the number of whatever it was that hit me?"

"Speaking of which, what DID happen?" Knuckles asked. "I just heard some girl screaming and something hitting you."

"Sorry about that." Al replied to them all. "Don't mind Winry; she was just worried about both of us, and sometimes she acts up if even one of us shows up a wreck. Being gone for days probably didn't help either."

"You mean the blonde girl?" Sonic asked as he rubbed his head. Al only nodded. "Okay; from now on, we're not going anywhere near you if she's upset."

Al chuckled. "Don't be like that; she's a sweet person."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. I guess if she knew I was inside..." Sonic stopped himself. _"Given the circumstances, would the outcome have been any different?"_ If he remembered what the brothers told him of their world correctly, no creatures like them existed here. Sonic decided to let it go. "So...are we just going to hide in your armor the rest of the time?"

"Once she's had a good rest, we'll introduce you. I don't want to keep you hidden from the public, but right now it's for the best." Al said.

Sonic sighed and folded his arms. "This is going to be a BORING trip." He didn't like the prospect of being stuck in Al's armor. Of course, he wasn't alone (though most did not voice their reluctance/dread).

"So, what about getting us back home?" Knuckles asked the younger Elric. "I'm sure you've got other things to worry about, but I've got responsibilities back home."

"We all do." St. John concurred. "Even if Robotnik came with us handcuff, we are still needed to defend our own world; never know what threats could come crawling up."

Al only scratched his helmet on the subject. "Truth be told, I'm not sure how we can send you all home." he said. "But that portal didn't just come out of nowhere; our worlds were somehow connected before. We may be able to recreate the doorway."

"And how are ya all going to do that?" Bunnie asked.

"We may know someone who could help." Al replied. If anyone knew something, it was teacher.

* * *

Later that day, Mustang walked into an interrogation room of the local police and opened the door. Though inside he was relieved, he did his best to make sure looked annoyed, if not furious. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, Fullmetal."

Ed would have tapped the table if he had his other arm, but for now he had to settle for propping his chin up and rolling his eyes. "Thanks for your concern, colonel." he replied sarcastically. "Where would I be without you if you didn't worry about me constantly?"

"Let's get this over with." Mustang nodded to the guard, who closed the door on his request. Now, they would have complete privacy, as per his request. Mustang took a seat as he pulled out a pencil and paper. "So, would you care to tell me just what you've been up to these past few days? Your friend drove me out of work just to find you, and let me tell you, you did not make it easy for me."

Ed decided the best lies were the ones where you told the truth as much as possible. "I take it you saw that temple?"

"The one that turned to crystal?"

"That's the one." Ed confirmed. "Al and I got a map from that freezing alchemist we helped arrest in town, which led to it. We didn't expect to find anything of significance, but our curiosity got the better of us. The temple at the time wasn't anything too interesting, but the homunculi followed us there for some reason. We fought, our blood mixed...and the next thing we knew, we were somewhere else."

"Somewhere else? Could you be a bit more specific?" Mustang asked, not looking up from his notes.

Ed massaged his forehead. "I don't know." was his only reply. "When we got out of the temple, all I realized was that we weren't in town. It looked like we were in a labyrinth, under the city perhaps."

"Are you sure there was no way to tell where you were? Any landmarks...architecture...anything?"

"Sorry, no." Ed said. "We really had no idea where we were."

"Did you meet someone down there, at least?"

Ed frantically thought how to best describe the mobians, if that were even possible. "Chimeras." he said. "There were chimeras everywhere."

"What kinds?" Mustang asked, looking up from his notepad for the first time

"All kinds; for all I know, it was Chou Tucker's new home." Ed explained.

"I see." Mustang noted as he continued to scribble notes. "How did you survive?"

"Water was flowing down there; I'm a bit suspicious about the source though. Might need a typhus shot. Anyway, I also killed a few and managed to cook up some meat..."

"This is all very interesting, but how did you get back?" Mustang interrupted.

Ed sighed in annoyance. _"I thought he wanted the full story."_ "We found our way back to the transmutation source eventually. The homunculi were there first, though. We agreed to a temporary truce, repeated the same process...purposely cutting each other...and before we knew it we were back."

Mustang remained silent as he scribbled the notes down. "All interesting. And what of the homunculi?"

"Got out with us...then they left. We didn't even catch sight of them."

"And what about the temple? Do you have any idea what caused it to transform?"

"None." Ed replied. "That took me by surprise as well. We were interested to find out, but after all the trouble that thing caused us, we decided not to mess with it further. Soon as we realized we were back, we ran straight for Winry."

"And your brother? He's with her?"

"Yeah." Ed said. "We figured it would be best if he stayed with her while you debriefed me."

"Reasonable enough." Roy noted. "The place you went to; does it have anything to do with the philosopher's stone?"

"No, surprisingly. Not from what we could gather."

"So...what you have done, in essence, was waste my time." Mustang said, making his annoyance clear.

Ed only scowled at him. "Don't look at me like that; it wasn't planned, and a waste of my time as well."

Mustang sighed as he finished taking the last of his notes. "Is that all, Fullmetal?" Mustang asked, tapping his pencil. "Is there anything else important I should know?"

"_Yeah, I brought home with me some talking animals. You know of any families who might be willing to adopt them?"_ he thought to himself sarcastically. "Sorry, but that's just about it. I would have come back sooner if I had the means and saved you all this trouble."

Mustang only eyed his empty sleeve. "Except for you arm. What happened?"

"The usual; some baddie got the better of me and smashed it to pieces."

"Ah. That explains the bump on your head." Of course, he wasn't referring to some creature giving it to him; he was referring to Winry. It seemed even he was aware of her temper when it came to her work.

Ed growled as he rubbed his head. "Damn! It still hasn't gone away?"

"Anyway, I presume that this will delay your intended trip." Mustang noted. "And, in essence, take you further off call until you can get your arm replaced."

Ed sighed. "It's no problem; as soon as Winry's rested, we'll head back to Rush Valley and get a replacement. After that...back to teacher." Ed sighed as he remembered the Mobians back at home. _"Great. I was going to have enough crap to deal with telling teacher about the gate..."_

"Very well, then." Mustang said as he tucked his notepad into his breast pocket. "From now on, do try stay out of trouble. You can harass me about your wacky adventures back in my office in Central all you want; just don't pull me away from work." He pulled out his chair and got up to leave.

"What? That's it?" Ed asked. He had expected a lot more questions.

"For now." Mustang said. "I don't have time to be your babysitter; the fuhrer has more important matters for me back home. So don't go wandering off and keep your girlfriend happy."

Ed would have chocked on something if he had anything to eat. "WHAT!? SHE'S NOT-" The only response he got was the door slamming in his face. "...my girlfriend." Why did that make his heart skip a beat? Ed decided to let it go, and figured it was time to leave. Now he had to deal with another problem: How to introduce Winry to the Mobians...if Al hadn't done it already...

* * *

Robotnik sighed as he sipped some tea offered to him as soon as he was settled. "Not bad. Not as caustic as 10-W 40...but not bad." He was currently seated in a large library, filled with books and cozy chairs. And he was facing the master of the homunculi from across the room.

"Lust has told me about her...adventures, encountering you." She paused as she sipped her own tea. "I must admit...it's rather hard to believe. But...after she told me about the temple, I did some digging in my library."

She then signaled for Lust to hand Robotnik a specific book. As he opened it up at the place it was marked, he slowly became more interested. "Incredible." He flipped through more pages. "...I would have never imagined..."

"It certainly is amazing. And I never imagined the people of your world could come so far so quickly..."

"But enough of that." Robotnik interrupted as he closed the book. "Lust has told me of something that could be very useful to me in this world. And...in return...I shall offer you my strengths..."

"I must see them for myself." she said.

"HEY! CHUBBY!" Envy helped himself into the library, ignoring manners as usual. "Your friends are here."

The Swatbots, and what remained of Crocbot's body walked inside. **"This is what you dragged us across worlds for!?"** Crocbot shouted. **"We're practically back in the dark ages!"**

"Excuse my underling; he has a bit of a temper." Robotnik assured her.

She rose and approached the machines. "Incredible..." she said. "Living things, made of metal...with intelligence..."

"Limited intelligence, my dear. Artificial intelligence" Robotnik corrected her. "Unless I allow otherwise. Don't want my underlings to be getting any ideas now." Crocbot would have narrowed his eyes if that were anatomically possible. "But they are more often than not, stronger than flesh and bone, easily customizable, and 100 percent obedient. They will do as you command without fear of death or pain."

"**Easy for you to say."** Crocbot muttered.

"What of this one?" she asked, noticing the robot's attitude.

"An exception to the rule. To run a planet, I need stewards to work under me, and mindless automotans simply won't do. Crocbot is one of many sub-bosses I created. They have standard intelligence of any sentient being. Unfortunately, it gives them a personality of their own. They're only necessary if you really need a helping hand."

She only looked at them, as her fingers traced the swatbots' thick metal hide. _"With these at my disposal...I can start a war at any time. Have any number of soldiers at my command. And...I'll be able to make as many philosopher's stones as I need..."_ "Your proposal is accepted." she said. "You'll give me what I need, and I'll provide you with absolute control of your planet through the stone's power."

"Excellent." Robotnik said as he placed his tea cup down. "Now, when do we begin?" he smiled, rubbing his hands.

* * *

"So, how long are we going to have to wait here?" Sonic asked, tapping his foot impatiently. While the others were trying to be cordial, they were also getting rather impatient as well.

"Just wait." Alphonse asked him. "Brother will be back soon; he just has some things to take care of."

"Something with the state?" Sally asked.

"Yeah. Exactly." Al confirmed. "Winry called Ed's boss while we were gone. I doubt it went pleasantly, but Ed can put up with him when necessary." Just then, he heard a knock on the door. "Okay. Hide."

Everyone squeezed themselves into the bathtub. "Man, I hope no one decides to use this facility while we're here." Sonic muttered. Bad enough they had to hide; he hated to think what would happen if they were found out while the room was in use.

Al quickly looked into the bedroom, seeing Winry still asleep in bed. "Good." A second knock came, Al noted was rather loud and slow. and hurried to the door. Satisfied with what he saw through the peephole, he opened it. "Welcome back, Ed." Ed walked inside, carrying what seemed to be a grocery bag with his one arm. "How'd it go?"

"Not that bad, actually." Ed replied. "In fact, he didn't seem very interested at all."

Al noticed the annoyed look on his face. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Just pisses me off that he came only because Winry asked him to. He clearly wanted to be somewhere else."

Al sighed. "Well, I'd say it's in our favor this time."

"Yeah, I guess." Ed looked over to see Winry's body breathe under the cover. "How is she?"

"Fast asleep; she was absolutely exhausted. I was able to talk with the others and she didn't make a peep."

"I see." Ed slightly smiled, hoping Al didn't see it. _"It's nice to have someone that cares that much about you."_ Ed then knocked on the bathroom door with his toe. "Psst!" he whispered. "It's me."

"Come in." Sonic said.

Ed helped himself inside to greet his mobian friends. "How are you all doing?"

"Cramped." Sonic muttered.

Sally elbowed his side, chastising his lack of manners. "We're doing fine, Ed, all things considered."

"Good to know. I know this is not the most convenient way to spend your time. Unfortunately, I don't see it changing much anytime soon."

Sonic sighed. "It's cool, man." Now if only he knew of a way to turn this around...

"Come tomorrow, however, we'll introduce you to Winry. I don't think it will be...peaceful. But she'll warm up to you all, I promise you that. At least afterward, we can let you wander about an entire room."

"And after that?" Knuckles asked, looking increasingly irritated. "I might be selfish in emphasizing this, but I REALLY need to get home. You have any plans to do anything about it?"

"There is one thing." Ed said. "Our teacher should have extensive knowledge about ancient alchemy. She may know something. Or, at least, point us in the right direction." Ed suddenly gulped. "Truth be told, though, I'm not looking forward to it..."

"What's up with your teacher?" St. John asked, smirking. "Afraid she'll kick your butts?"

"Why, as a matter of fact...yes." Ed admitted without shame. The others were just silent at Ed's fear of his mentor.

Suddenly, the sound of a stomach growling caught everyone's attention. Sonic looked down at his beige tummy, rubbing it. "My bad. Got any chili dogs?"

"Seriously, is that all-" St. John's stomach joined the chorus too as the hunger pains kicked in. "On second thought, chili dogs don't sound too bad, mate."

Tails stomach growled too. "I'd like some too."

Soon, everyone's stomach growled. "Truth be told..." Sally added. "...we haven't eaten in a while. Not since the mission began."

Ed chuckled slightly. "I anticipated that. So I got us some food." Ed pulled a sandwich for himself as Al handed the others various vegetables.

Bunnie was able to eat her food no problem, as she was a vegetarian most of the time anyway. Sally munched on her beet to be polite (though it was delicious). The boys though...were a bit miffed they didn't get any meat dishes. "At risk of sounding like a jerk...what gives!?" Sonic complained as he held up a bell pepper.

"Believe me, it was my first instinct to get you all something more filling." Ed said as he bit into his sandwich. "But our meat is different from yours. In fact...I'm eating a cow right now." Ed said as he took a bite.

Sonic chuckled nervously. "Yeah right. No one would eat..."

"Actually, I think a little bit of pig is mixed in with this meat right now too."

The mobians only looked at him in shock, then to each other. All stared at him, wide-eyes with fear. "Please tell me you're joking." Sonic muttered, turning back to Ed. "Cause if you are it's way past unfunny!"

Al sighed "I'm afraid not. We didn't anticipate the need to tell you...but a lot of the animals in this world...ones that resemble many of your races...well, we eat them. Cows, pigs, chickens and other birds, fish...pretty much half of Knothole would have been sent to a butcher shop here." Knuckles cheeks suddenly expanded as he clamped his mouth shut. The others made similar reactions as well.

"Don't give me that." Ed muttered as he got irritated with their looks of disgust. "Living things eat other living things to live, animal or not. And the animals we have here, they're nothing like on Mobius. I'm not even sure I want to know what kind of animals you used for those dogs." Ed saw that his retort did nothing to sway them. Sighing, he said "Look. Things are really different here. Until we can send you back, you're all just going to have to accept that. If it's possible, I can show you all the details, but right now, you're all just going to have to do what we say. Okay?"

The mobians sat back down in the tub, and continued eating their vegetables. "Suddenly these are looking very appetizing." Sonic muttered as he bit into his pepper.

* * *

"Lieutenant." Mustang spoke into a public phone.

"**Colonel; any news on the Elrics?"**

"I found them." Mustang replied over the phone. "They came back on their own, so coming down here was a waste of time. Anything happen in Central while I was gone?"

"**Nothing of importance work-related or personal."** was Hawkeye's reply. Of course, what Mustang really wanted to hear was any new information on Hughes' killer. **"So, where have those boys been?"** Hawkeye asked, dropping her formalities.

"In all honesty, I'm not quite sure. He wasn't truthful about what he has been doing. Not some important parts, anyway."

"**And you didn't call him out on it?"**

"No point. Ed may be a punk, but he doesn't tell lies unless he feels he has to. Either what he found was something so precious he couldn't tell anyone, or he feared I might call him crazy." Roy peered out of the booth quickly to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "Another strange thing happened." he told his right-hand woman. "There is this small temple here. Rather dilapidated; not even the residents were able to make use of it. While I was searching for the boys, the dogs kept leading us to the temple. It was made of stone when I first saw it, but upon my second time there, it turned to crystal."

Riza may not have been an alchemist, but she understood it's basic principles; the laws of equivalent exchange would not have allowed that. **"That should be impossible. Do you think the Philosopher's Stone is involved?" **

"No; Ed said the stone was not involved in his little adventure. That part he was truthful about." Roy's grip tightened on the phone. "But something is happening, and I don't think it's good. We better keep our eyes peeled. Look up what history you can about the temple whenever you're free, lieutenant. Also, look into crystallization and alchemy."

"**Yes sir."** came Riza's reply. **"Anything else?"**

Roy hesitated for a moment. "No. Nothing substantial at the moment. That will be all, Lieutenant. You have a good night."

"**I'll see you the day after tomorrow, sir." **

Roy hung up and exited the booth. As he adjusted his coat, he boarded the next train and took a seat. Figuring it would be a while before the train got moving, he decided to look through his notes when interviewing Ed. He paid special attention to the notes he underlined. "Chimeras...what in the world did you see, Fullmetal?" He figured perhaps the temple would give him some answers, assuming historical evidence would be present in the archives. Or if Sheska remembered.

* * *

The next day had finally arrived. It appeared it would be a normal morning. But with the Elrics' current situation, it was going to be anything but. Winry had finally woken up, feeling refreshed for the first time in days. She sat up and stretched, observing the room around her. Ed was lying down on the bed opposite to her, snoring away. _"It wasn't a dream...you're really back, Ed."_ She smiled, feeling that now all was right with the world. She then looked to Al, who seemed to be scribbling something in a notebook. It seemed he didn't even notice her, as he was writing pretty furiously, like his mind was hard at work. "Al? Is everything alright?"

Al suddenly looked up and closed his notebook. "Winry! Good morning!" It seemed whatever was occupying him, he did not wish to share with Winry just yet. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah...you two worrying me didn't help matters much before." she replied. "I'm just glad you're both back."

"Me too." Ed had woken up as well, and stretched. He was going to go about his day like normal, but then remembered a rather furry little problem that Winry had to be introduced to...whether she liked it or not. "Listen, Winry. There's something...something...you need to know."

Winry looked at him confused. "Yes?"

Words seemed to escape Ed and Al as they looked at each other for sage advice, only to come up empty. "Uh, uh..."

"Well, spit it out!" Winry shouted, irritated at the brothers unusual moment of stupidity. "Look, I'm glad you're both back. But you still have some explaining to do! Especially about your arm, Ed!"

Ed looked down on his stump, and gulped. "Can't we just replace it later and let it go!?"

"No, we can't!" Winry suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his t-shirt. "Not until you tell me exactly what happened!"

The fire in her eyes returned full force, and Ed had doubts he would see his teacher alive...all things considered, might be a blessing. "Uh, okay...where do I begin?" Ed looked to Al, who was only cowering in the corner. "You know we were gone, right?"

"Days, Ed. You were gone for days." Winry growled.

"Days, right." Ed nervously agreed. "Anyway, we brought some things with us."

Winry's anger left her as it was replaced by her curiosity. "What are you talking about?"

"Ed, enough!" Al hissed. "Just tell her!"

Ed looked back to his brother. "Oh? You wish to try to explain the situation?" he asked sarcastically. Al only trembled, and looked back down on the floor.

"Explain what!?" Winry shouted, her frustration returning. "Stop dancing around it and tell me!"

Ed scratched his head and sighed. "There's no good way to tell you this. Might as well drop this bomb and get it over with. Sit down." Winry took a seat on the bed while Ed sat opposite of her. "Okay. To give you the abridged version of events, we went to the temple, and we were taken somewhere. It's hard for me to tell you what exactly...but after a couple of days, we found a way back. And, well...we brought some...things...with us."

"Ed, I still don't know what you're getting at!" Winry huffed. "What did you bring!? If it's gifts, I'm not interested! If anything, that just makes me angrier!"

"Uh...I'll go check on something." Al said as he ducked into the bathroom while Ed desperately tried to verbalize what happened to them. He looked into the bathtub to see the Freedom Fighters stretching themselves awake. "Hey." he said to his mobian friends. "You up?"

"Yeah." Sonic said. "We were already waking up as we're in a strange world, not to mention the bathtub isn't exactly comfy. Hearing you and your friend argue is certainly a good alarm clock, if there were ever such a thing."

"Yeah." Al said, a bit embarrassed. "Anyway, it's time we introduced you. This is...well, it's going to be rough. She's probably going to freak out seeing one of you, but please don't take it personally. So...do I have any volunteers?"

The mobians looked amongst each other. "I don't want to go." Sonic said defensively, raising his hands. "One wrench to the head is bad enough, and that was under a metal helmet, mind you."

"Sonic!" Al groaned. "Winry's really nice..."

"Sorry pal. Nothn' doing." The hedgehog's mind was clearly made up. He then looked slyly to one of his rivals. "How 'bout St. John? Brave, able to take a hit like 'a real man', wasn't that the way you put it?" he asked.

"I think I'll pass, thank you mate." St. John shrugged.

"Aw, and passn' up a chance to impress the ladies?"

"Sonic, it's okay." Sally interrupted. "He doesn't have to..."

"This isn't a wolf I'm feeding you to!" Al nearly shouted. "This is my childhood friend we're talking about here! Just someone..." He then looked to Tails. _"Girls like cute things, right?"_ Granted, all of the mobians would probably be cute once you got used to seeing them. But Tails' age probably upped that cuteness factor. "You." Al picked up Tails as carefully as he would a kitten as the fox stared at him nervously. "Come with me."

"Uh...you...you sure it'll be alright? Someone else could..."

"It's going to result in something chaotic anyway; might as well be you. I'd imagine you're pretty hugable once everything calms down."

Tails looked at him questionably, and to the others in disbelief. "Is he serious?" he asked.

"Could work." Sonic agreed, looking at his famous "sidekick". "Just keep him away from that wrench."

"You have my word: I won't let him get hurt. Ready?" he asked the fox.

Tails sighed. "As I'll ever be, I guess." Al held him to his chest, backing out of the door.

"AUUGHH!" Winry growled exasperatedly, tearing at her hair. "Al, could you tell me what the hell happened to you!? Your brother is talking in circles here!"

Ed seemed to be having trouble preparing her, as his arm was hanging in the air at an odd angle; Al could only imagined what he was trying to tell her, and how. "Okay...there's no easy way to tell you this." Al turned around, holding Tails behind his back. "Long story short: we were sent to an alien planet, and a few of them came with us."

Winry just stared at him. She looked to Ed, who only laughed nervously while he nodded his head in confirmation. Winry's confused face frowned into anger. "What kind of idiot do you take me for!?" she yelled. "You think this is some kind of game!? You were-"

"Winry, it's the truth! And I'll prove it!" Al finally pulled out Tails in front of them, causing Winry to freeze.

The two only stared at each other, while the Elrics were hoping for one of them to break the ice. "Uh...hi." Tails waved at her.

Winry's eyes widened even further...and she screamed. "WHAT IS THAT THING!?"

Al ducked to shield Tails from an incoming lamp which shattered against the wall. "Oh man, I knew this was a bad idea!" Tails moaned.

Suddenly, the bathroom door came down on Al as Tails as Sonic and Knuckles stood on top, ready for a fight. "MORE OF THEM!"

"WINRY, CALM DOWN!" Ed made a grab for her arms, but Winry's panic overrode Ed's natural strength as she reached for a wrench.

"Uh oh, LOOK OUT!" She threw it like a boomerang, but Sonic and Knuckles were one step ahead of her. Sonic rushed to the other side of the room, while Knuckles glided above it and stuck to the wall.

St. John suddenly rolled forward with his crossbow at the ready. "I should have known you amateurs would-" He didn't get to finish his condensation, as the wrench hit him square in the forehead. His eyes spun as he slowly collapsed backwards.

"Ah take it ain't going too well." Bunnie said as her head peaked across the doorway.

"Nope." Sally agreed as she did the same. "It's obviously not!"

While the 3 mobians made no motion to attack her, just moving around and talking forced her into full-panic mode as she threw anything she could and the brothers desperately tried to restrain her. "Winry, they're not bad creatures! Please calm down!" he begged her.

Winry only continued to scream nonsense as Al and Ed could only do so much to stop her. It seemed despite the fact they were naturally stronger than her, her panic gave her a boost and was able to throw them off as she continued to reach for more objects to toss at the creatures.

"Bunnie, does that plasma canon Rotor loaded you with have a stun setting?" Sally asked her friend.

"It sure does, Sally girl." Without waiting for the order, Bunnie switched her arm to canon mode and took aim at Winry.

"B-Bunnie!" Ed screamed as he saw the weapon. "What are you doing!? Put the gun-" Nothing more could be done as Winry received a blast of plasma laser. As the brothers looked on in horror, Winry froze in place like a statue. Then, she collapsed face first onto the floor. "AHHHH!" Ed screamed, grabbing his hair with his hand. "YOU KILLED HER!"

"No, Ed!" Sally tried to assure him. "We just stunned her..."

Ed suddenly ran towards them and grabbed Bunnie by the neck, hoisiting her up the wall. "YOU KILLED WINRY, YOU BASTARDS!"

"Ed, she's alright!" Al said, observing their friend breathe. "Put her down! Someone will..."

Suddenly, everyone stopped as an angry knock resounded from the door. "What the hell is going on in there! Open this door now!"

"The manager!" Ed realized. Of course the noise would have attracted someone's attention. "Quick! Everyone under the bed!"

The mobians did as they were told, Sally dragging St. John underneath the bed. "Open this door now, you little shits!" the manager demanded.

"Coming, coming!" Ed opened the door, coming face to face with the manager, a tall, burly man with a curly mustache and tan complexion. Ed wouldn't have been surprised if this man turned out to be a distant relative of Major Armstrong. "Listen, I know why you're here. But I can explain!"

"Explain, then!" the man demanded.

"My friend here as night terrors!" he yelled, pointing at Winry who lay unconscious on the bed.

"At 11:30 in the morning!?" the manager shouted in disbelief.

"She didn't sleep well last night!" Al said in response.

"What he said!" Ed concurred. "She just acted up, that's all! We gave her a tranquilizer, and she'll be right as rain within an hour!"

"That explains the screaming." the manager agreed. "BUT HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS!?" he yelled, emphasizing the entire room.

The brothers looked around the room and turned white at the damage Winry's panic had done. Several wrenches were strewn across the floor, all leaving sizable dents in the wall and floor. The lamp was in shambles. Footprints were laid across the room, courtesy of Sonic. He and Knuckles were also responsible for the bathroom door laying off it's hinges. And several gaping holes in the wall remained from Knuckles climbing around. "Uh...that I can't explain." Ed palmed his face and muttered "Someone kill me now."

Suddenly, Ed was lifted off the ground by the muscular manager, while Al only stood by in fright. "You think this is funny, don't ya, punk!?"

"N-no sir." Ed squeaked. "I-I'm a state alchemist! I can fix this! And I can compensate you for any other damages!"

"I'm glad to hear that." The big man set Ed down. "Get to work. And at the end of it, I expect you to leave. Your friend has already ran up quite an extension fee. And now I'm going to quadruple it."

"What!?" Ed shouted. "You can't-" The manager stood in front of him, arms crossed and emanating a powerful aura. "Um...I mean...of course, sir!" he nervously chuckled.

"Get to it." the manager growled. "Ready or not, you'll be out of here by three today. Understood?"

"...yeah..." The manager simply slammed the door in his face as he stormed off.

Sonic's head finally peaked from under the bed. "That was certainly crazy, and not in a fun way. So...what now?"

Ed rolled his eyes. "What other choice do we have? Winry meets the mobians...take two."

* * *

Half an hour later, Winry's eyes fluttered open. "Winry? Winry! Can you hear me!" Ed's voice called.

Winry groaned, and finally sat up, clutching her forehead. "Oh...my head..."

"Here. Drink this." Ed handed her a glass of water.

Winry snatched it from his hand and gulped it down. She breathed deeply as she tried to get her bearings straight. "Ohhh...why do I feel like I bit down on a telephone wire?"

"From what I understand, what hit you would have very much felt like that." Ed then pulled up a chair right next to the bed. "Winry, do you remember having a dream involving strange creatures that look like a cross between woodland animals and humans?"

Winry blinked in confusion. "Why...yes! I don't remember the specific details, but I was totally unprepared for what I saw. I was so terrified and...wait, how could you know this!?"

Ed sighed. "Winry...that was no dream."

Winry stared at him, and began to laugh. "Oh come on Ed, what are you trying to pull? That's just too unbelievable..."

"Winry, I lost two limbs on opposite sides, my brother is a living suit of armor, I became a state alchemist at 12 years old, and I told you all about Nina. Are there really things too crazy to believe at this point? It happened. We tried to get you ready, and out of the blue, Al introduced you to one of them. You freaked out, and...well, they had to knock you out."

Winry just looked at him shocked. "R-Really? That all happened?"

"Yeah." Ed sighed. Winry looked around...and saw scratches, footprints, and dents across the floors and walls. "Some of this was you trying to destroy them with your toolbox. You actually nailed one of them." Winry turned to look at him as he held his hand up. "Don't worry, he's fine. I've a feeling he had it coming anyway. The rest of this was them dodging you. All that plus your screaming...well, we're about to be kicked out and charged more than this crummy motel deserves as soon as I fix all this."

Winry held her head down. "Sorry..."

"It's okay. I don't think we could have properly prepared anyone for that. But before we leave, we need to introduce you and let you know what's happening. And this time, NO. FREAKING. OUT. Are we clear?" Ed said in an usual show of authority towards Winry. Winry gulped and nodded yes. "Okay then. Let's see if there's anyone you haven't freaked out who's willing to get up close and personal with you."

Ed got off his chair and crouched under the bed. "Okay...I think it'll be better this time, guys. Anyone brave enough to give this another try?"

"Fine, I'll go." a voice said. Winry looked over the bed to see something blue and spiky emerge. The creature jumped on her bed (in turn, causing her to jump), and just stared at her. "Uh...hi." he waved. "I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

Winry only stared back, before hesitantly extending her hand. "Uh...hi. I...I'm Winry. Winry Rockbell."

Sonic, not as scared but nonetheless cautious, slowly extended his hand. There fingers touched...and they gripped one another, making a solid handshake. Winry's unsure face slowly became a smile. "Wow. This...This is incredible."

"Thank you." Sonic said, his grin returning. "I know I am."

Winry smiled. "I...I don't know what to say."

"Just say hi." Ed interrupted. "We're on something of a time limit here, so is it okay if I bring out all the rest?"

Winry shrugged. "I guess. I mean, what else could you pull at this point? A dragon?"

Ed chuckled "Oh boy, the tales I have to tell you..." Ed pounded his fist on the floor. "Okay, guys. Come out. She's perfectly sane this time."

Ed winced as Winry suddenly pinched his ear. "What did you say!?" she growled.

"OW! FOR THE MOST PART, ANYWAY!" Ed cried.

One by one, the others came out of the bed. Winry just stared in awe. "Oh wow..."

One of them...obviously female, by the looks of it...extended her hand. "Hi. I'm Sally; I'm so sorry we scared you earlier."

Winry, feeling a bit more comfortable, took her hand without hesitation this time around. "Winry. And don't apologize; I was the one who freaked out." Winry's shock went up for a brief second as she saw Tails fly in the air, but calmed herself down. "I'm so sorry!" she said. "I nearly clocked you with a wrench!"

"Uh...it's okay." Tails landed on the bed, shocking Winry a bit more with his two tails. "Tails." he waved.

Winry felt even worse; she almost hit a child (or pup, depending on your point of view). She then noticed the red creature. "Uh...hi?"

The red one turned around, giving her a somewhat passive aggressive look. "Knuckles." he said, turning back and staring at the wall.

"Don't mind him." Sally assured her. "He's just got a lot on his mind."

"That, and he's not exactly the most sociable guy around." Sonic quipped.

"Sonic!" Sally hissed.

Winry turned away from them to see St. John, still rubbing his head. "Quite a swing you got there." the skunk said sarcastically.

"Sorry, this is Geoffrey St. John." Sally introduced them.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Winry got on her knees and crawled towards him. "You're hurt because of me! Here, let me take a look..."

St. John backed away and waved her off. "Oh, don't worry mate! I'm fine! I'm tougher than I look!"

Sally narrowed her eyes at him. _"Honestly, what's his problem!?"_

Finally, the last mobian jumped on the bed to Winry's level. "Hi. I'm Bunnie. Bunnie Rabbot. Ah'm afraid I was the one who shot you. Sorry about that, sugar." Unlike the others, she got no response from her. Instead, Winry just stared at her. Not out of fear, but...curiosity, it seemed. "You okay, girl?"

Suddenly, Winry's eyes lit up as she smiled like a kid at a pet store. She suddenly grabbed the rabbit and pulled her close. "Oh, wow! I've never seen automail like this!"

"Sugar, it's not..."

Winry pulled out her arm and ran her hands over it. "Enforced welded steel...superb hydraulics..." Suddenly, as if she pressed something, the arm switched into a canon. "OH MY GOSH! IT'S WEAPONIZED TOO! I'VE NEVER SEEN A MODEL LIKE THIS!" Steam was practically gushing out of her nose and ears at the sheer excitement of it all.

"Edward!" Bunnie yelled.

"Sorry." Ed chuckled nervously, holding up his hand in defeat. "I forgot to mention that Winry is an automail fanatic. And a big fan of anything mechanical in general."

Sonic then pictured Winry in Robotnik's costume, in his war chair and stroking one of his Cluck bots. _"Oh, that is just wrong on so many levels..." _

"Winry, listen, you're making Bunnie feel uncomfortable..." Ed tried to tell her.

"Can I keep it!?" Winry cried, hugging Bunnie close to her as the poor alien thrashed her arms, her super strength seemingly abandoned her.

"AH'M NOT A PET! PUT ME DOWN!"

Sally, looking at the sight, pushed Nicole further into her pocket. _"Note to self: keep all things mechanical away from her..." _

Eventually, Winry came down from her mechanic high and let Bunnie go. "It's nice to meet you all. But...where to begin? I have so many questions..."

"They'll have to wait, Winry." Ed said. "I'll tell you everything once we're on the train. And I've still got to fix this place before I get sued."

Just then, a knock came on the door. "Ed, it's me." Ed opened the door to reveal his brother. "So, did-?"

"Yeah. It went much better this time. You brought a box?" Ed asked.

"Yeah." Al lifted a large wooden box inside the room; Ed guessed it was used for transporting livestock.

"Wait." Sonic asked. "What are you going to do with that?" he asked, pointing at it.

"This..." Ed tapped it with his foot. "Is going to be your transportation."

* * *

_Earlier last night..._

The pain had finally stopped. Evil Sonic collapsed on his knees as he took in some deep breaths. "Oh...what the hell was up with that?" He remembered fighting Knuckles, and then...the images kind of blurred together. He remembered seeing the other Sonic, but not much else. "Well, while I'm here, I guess I should..." Evil Sonic's arms buckled as he tried to pick himself up. "Ugh! So weak..." He then gazed upon the puddle, looking at his own reflection. Or, what SHOULD have been his reflection. The hedgehog in front of him was green; what little blue he had circled his pupils instead. "Is this...? Is this me? What happened? How..." Evil Sonic's eyes rolled back as he collapsed on the mud, his body overrode with exhaustion.

* * *

As dawn rose, a trio of 2 men and a woman walked downtown. One man was short with spiky black hair, wearing what seemed to be a white gi and carrying a katana on his back. The other was a behemoth of a man, older than the other two judging by his white hair. He also wore the standard Amestrian outfit and carried a huge hammer; one wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that. The woman was quite unique. Slender but muscular, it was clear she had some type of military training. Dressed in a tank-top and jeans, she also carried with her a crossbow and a sheathed combat knife. In addition, she had a red markings on the right side of her face down to her shoulders, resembling claw marks (tattoos, perhaps?). He blond hair was cut short, except for one bang that hung over her forehead. And all were looking for something to steal before anyone woke up.

"So...anything?" the older man asked.

"No, Roa." the woman replied. "Nothing worth stealing I can see from here." she said.

"If we pick one at random, we might get lucky." the younger man suggested.

"Of course, we're more likely to do a lot of work for nothing and then get caught." the woman corrected him. "Ugh! I knew we shouldn't have partied with the boss all night like that!" she yelled, gripping the forehead.

"Well, at least we have a boss that knows how to have a good time!" the young one exclaimed.

"Quiet! If you could have gotten your head out of the toilet an hour earlier, we could get some actual work done!" the woman shouted back at him "Funny thing is, I don't know if you were in there to puke, or getting a drink!"

"HEY!" the young man screamed, a vein throbbing in his forehead. "THAT was a cheap shot!"

"Enough!" Roa yelled. "Let's just go back home, kids. The boss will be understanding."

"Yeah, I guess-" The young one stopped as if he just became aware of something.

"Uh, Dorchett?" the lady asked. "You okay?"

"Quiet, Marta!" Dog shouted. "I smell something." Like a dog, he got on all fours and put his nose to the ground.

"Well, what do you smell?" Roa asked.

"I don't know. It smells...it kinda smells like a hedgehog...but different."

"That's nice. But I don't think Greed's interested in pets...let alone rodents."

"There's something different about this one. I can't describe it..."

His companions reluctantly followed him down the street and across the alleyway. Soon, they came across the source of the scent, and all three jumped back in shock. It was covered in green spines, and dressed in leather, like he was part of a gang. "What!? What is that thing!?" Marta asked as she jumped back like a housewife who just saw a mouse.

Dorchett tiptoed to it, and unsheathed his sword. He poked the thing with it...and it moaned. "Crap, it's alive!" Dorchett yelled as he backed away from it.

Marta rolled her eyes and went straight to it. "Come on, Dorchett. It's in no condition to fight, whatever it is." Marta walked over and turned the creature over. It's face vaguely resembled a hedgehog indeed, but this was no ordinary animal."Hmm...I can't decide whether this is cute or freaky."

"We can't stay here, Marla!" Roa said. "What are we going to do with it!?"

Marta smirked, and hefted what she assumed to be a little chimera over her shoulders. "Let's take him to Greed; see what he thinks."

* * *

Drachma; Amestris's neighbor of the North, as well as being deemed the country's archival. Residing in the snowy mountains, they had fewer resources, and as such had to fight neighboring nations to survive. They were certainly a worthy adversary to Amestris. Their soldiers were tough and brutal, and they had sufficient alchemic knowledge themselves. Still, with Amestris's recent gains, they were, at the moment, at a cease fire. King Bradley was certainly a formidable adversary, and one misstep would leave their country in ruins.

While the politicians in private agreed this was the best course of action for now, it had cost them the support of their public. How to address that was being debated right now. "We must strike now!" one exclaimed as he slammed his fist against the table. "If we catch them off guard, we can decimate their industry and take their resources for ourselves!"

"You would dare suggest we break our agreement and dishonor ourselves!?" another exclaimed.

"To our people, we already have no honor left!"

The argument exploded, and soon no average person could tell the difference between this and a troop of angry monkeys at a zoo. Supreme Chancellor Curti Miles, the elected leader of the country, scrunched his brow and rubbed his temples. While in truth he sided with the war mongers, he had to admit it wasn't prudent to strike. As far as intelligence had gathered, Amestris's military was at worst as strong as theirs. There were no weak spots to exploit. But some politicians were so desperate to protect their careers they would put the whole country at risk. Miles picked up his gavel and slammed it on the pedestal. "Gentlemen, we obviously have strong opinions on the matter. I suggest we break for recess and cool our heads." The council in fact ignored him and continued arguing, but at least the Chancellor had an excuse to escape this madness.

Briskly, he walked toward his office and pulled out some hard liquor from under his shelf. "Patrice." he called to his maid. "Please see to it the cooks will make my favorite for lunch today, please."

"Yes sir." his maid bowed as she walked out the door.

As Miles poured himself a small glass, he suddenly heard a commotion. It sounded like an actual fight had broke out, and it sounded serious. What's more, it sounded like it was coming from the council chamber. The council was known for cursing obscenities, but in his entire tenure, he had never seen them break out into physical violence. "I must really be working too hard." he muttered to himself as he downed the drink, believing all the commotion to be in his head.

Suddenly, one of the council members was thrown through his door. The man scrambled to his feet. "M-Monsters! Mon-" A sticky substance suddenly ensnared him and pulled back into the hall.

The chancellor only stared at the empty space ahead of him as the screams continued, along with a monstrous roar. The chancellor fumbled as he pulled out a gun from his drawer and hid behind his book case. When the screams ceased, he carefully peeked from out of the corner. Strangely, no one was there. "Good day, sir. I am so sorry to trouble you, but I would like a moment of your time."

The chancellor spun around in front to lay his eyes on the most hideous creature he had ever seen. It was a cross between a human and some of the most ugly animals he had ever seen. He panicked and fired, but the bullets passed through the creature as if he were smoke. "Ah...guns. I haven't seen those in a long time; not since the great war." The creature waved his claw, and suddenly the gun became as hot as fire.

"AHH!" The chancellor dropped his weapon as he clutched his burning hand. "W-What are you!?"

The creature smirked, showing off his hideous fangs. "Allow me to introduce myself; I am Ixis Naugus. Sorcerer supreme, and the rightful king of Mobius. And I have a proposition for you."

"What in blazes are you talking about!?"

Naugus only scowled and rolled his eyes. With a snap of his fingers (on his hand hand), he summoned his subordinates into the room, each looking ready to kill. "You're in no position to argue. Only listen." The chancellor only stared at him, and nodded dumbfoundedly. "To answer the question regarding the elephant in the room, to put it quite simply, we're from another world. And I need an army to truly conqueor and maintain it."

"And what makes you think I'll go along with that!?" The chancellor yelled.

"Because, in exchange, I can help your country." Naugus explained, smiling. "I will make your army strong, give your country food, and make it a force to truly be reckoned with...so long as you aid me in exchange"

Of course, poisonous words of temptation weren't the only thing Ixis was using; he was also manipulating his base emotions. His desire to be the greatest political leader Drachma had ever seen. His jealousy of Amestris's resources. And his frustration with the political system. It wasn't strict mind control per se, but enhancing such negative emotions had profound impacts on their subjects. Already, he could see him begin to doubt himself, question to trust the creature in front of him. "If...if I agree to this..."

Naugus only smiled. "Trust me; you won't regret it."

* * *

Once more, the mobians found themselves trapped. This time, in the large wooden box Edward provided for them. At least each individual had enough space between them. But still, it was quite uncomfortable.

"This sucks." Knuckles grumbled.

"For once, I agree with you, Knucklehead." Sonic grumbled as well. "That can't be a good sign."

"I'd imagine me chimin' 'Aye!' makes it worse, huh?" St. John teased.

"Don't you start now." Sonic growled.

"Hush, boys." Sally chided them. "We can't just walk around freely. You know that."

"We couldn't walk around freely in Robotropolis, but we didn't resort to this!" Sonic complained back.

Sally just held up her arms exasperatedly. "Well, I don't know what to tell you. We're just going to have to endure this."

Bunnie only held her nose closed. "They coulda' at least have put us somewhere other than these...these...animals."

The Elric brothers had placed them in the animal cargo. At first, they were fascinated by watching the lesser evolved form of the sheep. But soon they discovered that they did not know the concept of toilets or holding it in. Needless to say, it was disturbing for them. Sonic only held his head on his fists. "No choice now but to go with it, I guess."

* * *

In one of the passenger cars, Winry listened to Ed and Al's story about the mobians. Needless to say, she was shocked beyond belief. "It's...it's all so much to take in."

"No kidding." Ed agreed. "Now we've really got our hands full. We've got to keep that ore safe, not only to prevent that Robotnik bastard from getting it but also to see if it can help Al. Then we've got to find a way to send those little guys home. And their bad guys...either send them with them or take care of them ourselves. And I don't know which is the right thing to do."

Al looked out the window. "Never mind how difficult those goals would be. We've got to figure out what to do with them now."

"Speak for yourself." Winry agreed, leaning back. "You can't keep them caged up forever."

"Yeah, I know." Ed agreed. Truthfully, he hated putting them in a crate with the animal cargo. But what alternative was there?

"When we get to Rush Valley, we're going to let them go." Winry announced.

"Say what!?" Ed exclaimed.

"You heard me. We're going to let them out. They aren't some dangerous wild animals that would hurt people; they're practically human. Where else are they going to go? They'll need out, unless you want to turn them into circus animals." Ed felt a light tap of metal against his knee, which he guessed was her wrench. Winry suddenly gave him a dark, sinister look. "And if you disagree, I'll never forgive you." she threatened.

Ed only gulped. "Yes m'm." he whimpered. Ed leaned back and sighed. _"Wonder what I'll get in return for all this trouble?"_ Ed wondered. That was the crazy thing about Equivalent Exchange; you could get the most unexpected rewards...or penalties, from such trials.

* * *

Next time: The mobians in Rush Valley! What Chaos will ensue then?


End file.
